New Beginnings
by Evil Willow
Summary: #2 in New Lives, Destined Loves series. The gang is trying to put their lives back together, but Adam has other plans for them
1. Chapter One

New Beginnings   
Story Two in Series: New Lives, Destined Loves   
Author: EvilWillow - lcaspell@yahoo.com   
Rating: PG-13  
Distribution: If you ask, and provide me with the URL to your site,   
I'll always say yes. It will be at my site when I get a moment to   
post it. (www.crosswinds.net/~evilwillow/index.html)  
Disclaimer: The Buffy and Angel characters are owned by Joss Whedon,   
the WB, FOX, and a bunch of other people much luckier than me. I'll   
return the characters when I'm done with them, if they want to go   
back, that is. ;-)  
Category: Story/Adventure/Romance/Angst/Humor  
Keywords: Alternate Timeline (S4)  
Couples: Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Anya/Xander, Cordelia/Doyle,   
Spike/Dru   
Summary: This fic takes place two months after my story "The End".   
The gang is in the process of picking up the pieces and beginning   
again. They've had two months of relative peace, but now it looks   
like Adam is ready to make life interesting for them all.  
Author's Notes: You MUST read my earlier fic "The End" to be able to  
understand this one. Just email me if you haven't read it, I'll be   
glad to get it to you.  
  
* * = thoughts; _ _ = words emphasized.  
  
Part One:  
&&&&&&&&&  
Saturday, 12 pm  
  
Buffy awoke, and looked around, disoriented. *Oh,* she smiled. *That's  
right, it was Angel's place this weekend.* After succeeding in  
saving him from being Angelus, in more ways than she could have   
dreamed, she and Angel had agreed to start over. They were trying to   
make their relationship work this time. It did help that Angel had   
been made human again, thus getting rid of the happiness clause.   
  
However, human or not, he wasn't ready to leave his job in L.A yet,   
and Giles would have hunted her down if she'd decided to leave   
Sunnydale. So they didn't get to see each other until the weekends.   
And although they did manage to spend every weekend together, the   
where was always a last minute decision.  
  
She rolled over to look at the clock he kept next to the bed. *Almost  
noon* she sighed. *But it is understandable, after my 'quick patrol'   
with Charlie ended up lasting until midnight. I'm just glad that   
Giles agreed Charlie could handle things on the Hellmouth the rest of  
this weekend. But after finally getting away from his questions and  
driving the two hours to Angel's apartment I was exhausted. Poor   
Angel.* She smiled. *I was just awake enough to say hi and goodnight   
before passing out cold. Oh, well. I'll make it up to him later.*  
  
She dragged herself out of bed, and wished for about the hundredth   
time that she could convince Angel to invest in a few mirrors. *Geez,   
for someone as gorgeous as he is, he sure has a complex about himself   
still.*  
  
Sighing, she walked to the corner of the room where she'd thrown her  
overnight bag, and found her compact mirror. "Yick! Major bedhead,"   
she said, realizing that the mirror had not been a good idea after   
all.  
  
"I think you look beautiful as always," Angel said from behind her,  
startling her.  
  
"I think you need an eye exam," Buffy said sarcastically. She looked   
over at him though, and couldn't help smiling at the sight he   
presented. *So cute leaning up against that doorpost*. She got up and   
walked over to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him   
and then said, "You really should've woken me up before now."  
  
"Looked to me like you needed that extra sleep," Angel replied,   
stroking her hair. He was alarmed, as he had been the previous night,   
by the dark circles under her eyes. "How much sleep _have_ you been   
getting?" he asked with concern.  
  
"As much sleep as the big bad demons let me get," Buffy said. "They've  
been worse than usual in the last couple of weeks. Especially last  
night," she added under her breath, and turned back to her bag.  
  
"What do you mean, especially last night?" Angel questioned, and   
grabbed her shoulder to turn her back to face him. She couldn't   
stifle a whimper as he grabbed her. "You're hurt!" Angel realized, a   
despairing look on his face. "Buffy, why didn't you TELL me?!"  
  
"I'm fine, Angel," Buffy tried to reassure him. Sighing, she   
unbuttoned her shirt slightly and pulled back the bandage to show him   
the stab wound to her left shoulder. "I just didn't want to worry you   
last night. I was going to tell you today."  
  
"God, Buffy, so close to your heart," Angel gasped, tears in his eyes,  
as he saw the wound. He pulled her to him and held her so tight  
she could barely breathe. He'd come so close to losing her, he hadn't   
even known. He couldn't stand the thought.  
  
"Angel, he missed, I'm okay," she gasped. "If it makes you feel any  
better, Charlotte made sure the stupid vampire knew he'd messed with   
the wrong Slayer, before she dusted him. She's good, Angel," she   
managed to release herself slightly from his hold, enough to look up   
at him. "That isn't the first time she's saved me. Although I've done   
the same thing for her at times, she doesn't seem to be the desired   
dead Slayer right now."  
  
"I'm sure Giles has a theory as to why that is?" Angel asked.  
  
"Giles thinks that Adam's going to make his move soon, but he wants at  
least one Slayer at less than perfect health first, if not dead.  
Obviously, he wants that one to be me. He is smart, I gotta give him  
that much. As good as Charlie is, I am still the stronger and more  
experienced of the two.  
  
"But, last night was a Buffy-stupid moment," Buffy said, obviously  
irritated with herself that a vampire had been able to take her   
down. "I wasn't thinking clearly, and I fell for one of the oldest   
and most over-used tricks in the book. Charlotte and I were rushed by   
vampires, in one of the cemeteries. I had one on the run. Or so I   
thought. I followed him right into a crypt, and needless to say he   
had friends waiting.   
  
"I survived thanks to Charlie, but it was close. It freaked Giles out   
in a big way that I was so tired I was being that careless. So he   
almost jumped at the idea of me going to L.A. for the weekend. I  
think he would've packed my bags for me if I'd asked," she joked.  
  
Buffy frowned as Angel didn't even crack a smile. "Tough room," she  
sighed. "Look, I know you're worried, Angel," she stroked his face,   
trying to smooth away the worry she saw there, "but I'm okay now. A   
couple of days with you and I'll be ready for anything the Hellmouth   
has to throw at me." She grinned, and pulled his head down to hers   
for a kiss.  
  
She giggled as she pulled away, and Angel said, "What's so funny?" a  
puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Oh, it's just a nice perk of you being human, is that I actually   
_can_ take your breath away now," she laughed.   
  
"Oh, I think that goes both ways," Angel growled and picked her up   
effortlessly, adding, "Feel like testing out that theory?" with a   
smile. She captured his lips with hers in a kiss, and he took that   
for a yes.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale  
12 pm  
  
Cordelia pulled up to Doyle's apartment in Angel's car. *And I only   
had to nag him for two hours.* she remembered with a smile. *I think   
it was when I pointed out that he wouldn't be leaving his downstairs   
apartment for the entire weekend that he finally threw the keys at me   
in utter embarrassment that I could say such a thing. He should know   
me better by now. Anyway, I'm not leaving him car-less. Buffy's got   
one.*  
  
She looked up at the apartment and nodded, pleased with Doyle's change  
in living arrangements. *I'm so glad that Doyle finally rented an  
apartment for himself and Charlie. It will give us a little more   
privacy than we had when he was sleeping on Giles' couch, with   
Charlie in a sleeping bag on the floor.*  
  
She pulled three bags out of the trunk, and managed to drag them up to  
the door. "Hi, Cordy," Charlotte said with a smile as she opened the  
door. She giggled and helped Cordelia bring her bags inside. She had  
been shocked at Cordelia's packing habits her first weekend visit, but  
that was two months ago. Today she was surprised that Cordelia had  
managed to keep the bag amount to three. *That's gotta be a Cordelia  
Chase record* she thought with a grin.  
  
"Hi, Charlotte," Cordelia replied, "Doyle here?"  
  
"Of course," Charlotte rolled her eyes. "He's been in hyperdrive ever  
since you called from L.A. this morn--"  
  
"Hey, Princess," Doyle interrupted her.   
  
"Doyle!" Cordelia squealed, and ran past Charlie into Doyle's arms.   
Doyle kissed her, passionately, and they stumbled over to the couch,   
oblivious to Charlie.  
  
Charlotte muttered, "Never mind, I think the hyperdrive is mutual."   
She quickly left the two lovers to their privacy, and went outside.   
She knew from experience by now that being in the same apartment with   
them for the first few hours that Cordy was back was an embarrassing   
thing. If not for them, then for her.  
  
She decided to stop in at Giles', to see if he, Willow and Wesley had  
gotten anywhere with their recent Adam research this morning. "Oh, hi  
Oz," she smiled as she saw the young man approaching from across the  
street. "Looks like I was right, research started early this morning?"  
  
"Yeah," Oz said, and they walked to Giles' apartment in silence.  
Charlotte smiled to herself, after two months she'd finally gotten  
somewhat used to Oz' un-talkative personality.  
  
They knocked on Giles' door, and Wesley answered it. Wesley had been  
staying with Giles, his knowledge of demons had been helpful to   
everyone in narrowing down the different demons that were integrated   
into the creature Adam.   
  
"Charlotte, Oz, come in. We were just discussing how best you should   
go about patrolling tonight, Charlotte. You'll need backup, just in   
case there's trouble. We were hoping that you would come along,  
Oz, and I think Doyle will tag along as well. Giles, Willow and I will  
continue the research here."  
  
"I thought we decided that Buffy was probably the target of the   
demons. So I'll be okay on my own," Charlotte said, bewildered.  
  
"We might be wrong," Giles replied, lifting his head from the book he  
was reading. He removed his glasses to wipe them clean with the hem of  
his shirt, a nervous habit that Charlotte smiled at. "What if Adam's  
true intention _was_ to split up the two of you?" he added. "I think   
we played right into his hands if that was the case."  
  
"I think you worry too much," Willow sighed, from her spot at a table  
nearby. "But I could be wrong because my brain's fuzzy," She rubbed   
her eyes, tiredly, and Oz silently moved behind her to massage her  
shoulders. "Thanks," she said.  
  
"None of you slept last night, did you," Charlotte accused the three.  
"That's not helpful, Giles. Buffy got careless from exhaustion last  
night, we don't need the same thing happening to any of you. Whatever  
Adam's plan is, we need your minds at full strength when it comes to   
the final confrontation."  
  
"Too late, no full strength here," Willow mumbled. "I'm looking at the  
words in front of me but I think they turned into another language   
when I blinked a few minutes ago." She frowned, looking at the book in  
confusion.  
  
Oz chuckled, and said, "That's just your eyes telling you they need to  
be shut for a few hours, Sweetie."  
  
"Oh, really?" Willow looked up at him hopefully. "Good, glad that's   
all it is."  
  
"Giles, I should take Willow back to her house. She should be safer  
there than at the dorm, since Buffy's gone." Oz said. "She's beyond   
any form of coherence and --"  
  
"Hey! I think....I'd resent that if I remembered what it was you just  
said," she finished with a shrug.  
  
"See what I mean?" Oz said to the Watcher and ex-Rogue Demon Hunter.  
"I'd yell at you, but I think Charlotte will do that for me. Come on,  
Willow. I'll walk you."  
  
"Walk? I don't wanna," Willow whined. "Willow sleep now. No walk." She  
tried to lay her head down on the table, but Oz pulled her up off the  
chair ignoring her whimper of protest.  
  
"You can borrow my car, Oz," Giles offered kindly.  
  
"Thanks," Oz said, taking the keys from him. "I'll bring it back, and  
then we'll talk about patrolling tonight."  
  
Ten minutes later, he was practically carrying her to her room. She   
was walking but there was definitely nobody home. She flopped on the   
bed, and he took her shoes off for her. "Oz?" she mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, Baby," he sat down beside her, pushing a stray lock of hair out  
of her face.  
  
"Don't leave me," she whispered, still half asleep.  
  
"Not planning on it," Oz replied tenderly.  
  
"Good, because I couldn't stand it if you left too," Willow sighed and  
rolled over on her stomach.  
  
Oz waited to see if she was really asleep, and was reassured of that   
by her breathing slowing and getting deeper. He sat for a moment,   
watching her. *Willow, why can't you be honest about how you feel   
when you're not sleep-talking. We all saw how devastated you were   
when Xander left. Instead of letting me, or any of your friends help   
you, though, you pretend you are okay. You say you are fine, but   
don't you know we all noticed that the light in your eyes disappeared   
when he did?   
  
*I hate that he hurt you like that. But I'm not jealous. I've   
realized that whatever really is between you two, neither of you want   
to contemplate it past friendship. Maybe I'm selfish, but I'm not   
going to try to clue you in on it either. I'm just going to try to   
make you happy, keep trying to deserve you. Maybe if I'm lucky you   
you can learn to smile again. And if I'm really lucky maybe you can   
love me again.*  
  
He pressed a kiss to her cheek, as he assured himself she wasn't   
waking up again. Then he left to return to Giles' house.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Holiday Inn  
Far from Sunnydale  
3 pm  
  
"Xander," Anya said, nudging him. "Hello, it's time to wake up."  
  
"Mgph," Xander replied, or something to that effect.  
  
"Come on," she insisted, shaking him gently. "You said we could get   
out of this vampire-infested town this morning, remember?"  
  
"_Where_ are we again?" Xander asked sleepily, still refusing to open  
his eyes.  
  
"Uh..." Anya reached over him to retrieve their map. "Let's see. We   
were in Little Rock last week, now we're in....oh, yeah. Louisiana.   
New Orleans to be exact. I tried to tell you that vampires love this   
city, but you just wouldn't listen," Anya said for about the fiftieth   
time in two days.  
  
Xander groaned, and opened his eyes then. "I know, I know. I just  
thought.... I don't know what I thought. Just wanted to check it out,  
that's all. Yes, we'll leave. Just let me take a shower first, okay?"  
  
"Okay, sorry for being so rude," Anya apologized and kissed him  
tenderly.  
  
"It's okay, you've put up with a lot from me in the past two months.   
If you're getting sick of me, I can't say I blame you," Xander said,  
stroking her hair.  
  
"Sick of you? Not likely," Anya smiled. "Just starting to wonder if   
all this traveling is eventually going to take us back to Sunnydale,"   
she added, and laid her head on his chest.  
  
"Oh," Xander replied, surprised that she'd asked the question and even  
more surprised she'd waited a whole two months before asking at all.  
Absentmindedly, he trailed his hand up and down Anya's back, and she  
sighed contentedly. He smiled, pressed a kiss to the top of her head,  
and tried to come up with an answer to the question.  
  
*The past few nights I _have_ actually been able to sleep without   
waking up in terror from a nightmare. I can joke around with Anya   
again. Maybe that means I'm starting to get over what happened   
with...Him, but the only way to know that for sure is to go back to   
Sunnydale. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. A part of me does   
want to go back, I missBuffy and Willow. Heck, I even miss Giles, now   
how weird is that.*  
  
"I don't know, Anya. I'll tell you when I do, though," Xander said   
with a sigh. "Now, for that shower and then we'll get out of here."  
  
"Where next?" Anya asked.  
  
"I'll know when we get there," Xander shrugged.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
End of part one  



	2. Chapter Two

&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale  
Doyle's apartment  
1 pm  
  
Cordelia and Doyle were still laying on the couch, after they'd   
succeeded in greeting each other properly. Now they were spooned up   
together, Doyle with his arms wrapped tightly around Cordelia's   
waist. They were catching each other up on the recent events in   
Sunnydale and L.A. "She got stabbed?" Cordelia asked. "I don't think   
she's told Angel about _that_ yet. He wasn't all moody and hovering   
when I left."  
  
Doyle chuckled at Cordelia's assessment of Angel's mood when he was  
worried about Buffy. "Probably because she's still ticked at herself   
for letting it happen," he replied. "She was cursing up a storm when   
Willow was bandaging her up. But it wasn't the pain that was causing   
the cursing, she was calling herself every name in the book, and then   
more that I didn't know a nineteen year old girl would have in her  
vocabulary."  
  
Cordelia laughed, "That's our Slayer. Well, the blonde one anyway.   
How's Charlotte, by the way?"  
  
"Doing good, I think," Doyle answered. "She and Buffy seem to be   
getting along. Her training is coming along faster than I'd hoped.   
Giles and I feel like we're holding _them_ back actually. We still   
don't know how to kill Adam."  
  
"You'll figure it out," Cordelia answered, and turned her head to kiss  
him gently. "I have every faith in you, Doyle."  
  
"That makes one of us," Doyle muttered. "I just feel like we're   
missing something obvious, Cordy. It's right in front of us, but we   
can't see it."  
  
"You're trying too hard then," Cordelia said practically. "I'm   
serious, Doyle," she added, catching the roll of his eyes. "Whenever   
you've got yourself so worked up with the stress of trying to fix   
something, you always miss the obvious answer. You...everybody...just   
needs to walk away for a little while, take your mind of things. When   
you go back to the problem, the answer will be there."  
  
"You know, Princess, you might be right," Doyle conceded.  
  
"Good answer, Doyle," Cordelia smiled. "But seriously, a night out,  
dinner and normal conversation. It would be a good thing."  
  
"Sounds good to me. Now to convince the others, though--"  
  
"I can be _very_ convincing, Doyle," Cordelia answered firmly.  
  
"Don't I know it," Doyle said in a defeated tone. "Ow!" he added as  
Cordelia turned and hit him playfully.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Giles' Apartment  
1 pm  
  
"Okay, so I get that I might be in danger," Charlotte agreed. "But I  
don't get that putting Oz and my brother in the same danger will help  
the odds of me getting out of any attack alive."  
  
"It's the safety in numbers idea, Charlotte," Giles replied. "They  
aren't going to get in your way, and they won't get into any trouble  
either--"  
  
"Have you _seen_ my brother in action?" Charlotte interrupted, a  
skeptical look on her face. "Alan Francis Doyle, Watcher that he may   
be, attracts trouble in droves."  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Charlotte waited for Giles to let   
Oz in before continuing. "I have no problem with backup, Mr.--   
Wesley," she amended that, remembering his insistence on her calling   
him Wesley. *He'd said that her calling him "Mr. Price" made him feel   
like a Senior Citizen,* she smiled at the memory.  
  
"So did I miss the yelling?" Oz asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, but I promise I made it clear that it was incredibly  
wrong for all of them to be up all night. In fact," she looked to   
where Wesley had passed out in a dead sleep on the couch, and smiled,   
turning to Giles, "--I think Wesley has the right idea. Why don't you   
try to get some sleep too, Giles. We'll meet here later before   
sundown to discuss patrol."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Oz replied. "I'd feel better if I   
could keep an eye on Willow right now, anyway. Her mom's gone for the   
weekend, and I don't like Willow being alone when Adam's still on the   
loose."  
  
"Fine," Giles said. "Why don't we meet back here at five then?"  
  
Oz and Charlotte nodded their assent.  
  
"Very well. Be careful, both of you. And don't go looking for   
trouble," this last addressed to Charlotte.  
  
"I thought one Watcher was bad," she muttered as she and Oz left. "Two  
of them, though, it's enough to drive a girl mad."  
  
"Where are you going?" Oz asked.  
  
"My place, I guess."  
  
"I'll walk you," Oz offered. Charlotte opened her mouth to argue, but  
then thought better of it. Buffy didn't know, but Charlotte had heard  
her ask Oz to keep an eye out for her. She did appreciate Buffy's  
concern. If it proved one thing, it was that Buffy had accepted her as  
someone not out to get her. And that, she realized, was a miracle  
considering Buffy's betrayal by Faith.  
  
They arrived at her door, and Charlotte smiled. "Thanks, Oz."  
  
"Any time," Oz said and walked off in the direction of Giles'.  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
L.A  
Angel's Apartment  
1 pm  
  
"Angel?" Buffy came out of the bathroom, having taken the world's  
fastest shower. She found him in the kitchen, making sandwiches. "Now  
that's a new one," she said. "You making lunch? Not that I'm  
complaining."  
  
"Thought we could go to the park for a picnic?" Angel suggested.  
  
"Mm, I was kinda thinking we'd stay in...but a picnic could be fun   
too." She walked over and pulled Angel's head down to meet hers in a   
kiss. She said, "I could really get used to this having a human   
boyfriend thing."  
  
"But I can't protect you like this," Angel said, tracing the outlines   
of the fresh bandage on her shoulder."  
  
"Angel, I don't want another protector. I want just one thing in my   
life that's normal."  
  
Angel laughed at that. "Normal?" he questioned skeptically. "Yeah,  
right. I'm normal, Buffy. A normal two hundred fifty year old guy,   
who spent most of those years as a vampire."  
  
"Picky, picky," Buffy rolled her eyes, eliciting another laugh from  
Angel. "We love each other, and there's finally nothing keeping us  
apart. Sounds pretty normal to me. Besides, normal's a relative term  
when you're a vampire slayer. Now where's that park you were telling   
me about? I'm starved."  
  
&&&&&&&&  
Doyle's Apartment  
1:30 pm  
  
Charlotte waited, and then not hearing anything suspicious opened the  
door slowly. "Hey! I'm home!" she yelled.  
  
She heard Cordelia giggle, and say, "It's safe, Charlotte. You can   
come in."  
  
"Better safe than sorry," Charlotte replied. She saw her brother and  
Cordelia sitting on the couch. Rather entangled, but fully clothed, so  
that was enough to keep Charlotte happy. "So Buffy made it to L.A.  
okay?" Charlotte asked.  
  
"Of course. I stopped in at the office this morning, and realized   
there was no work to be done _this_ weekend."  
  
"So you decided to keep my brother from getting any work done too?"  
Charlotte said sarcastically.  
  
"Pretty much," Cordy replied with a smile. She knew that Charlotte was  
just giving her a hard time. They had gotten to know each other well  
enough to let their true personalities come out frequently, often  
bickering like sisters, much to Doyle's dismay.  
  
"But, I have a Willow to visit," Cordelia said then, trying to get up  
from the couch. "Doyle, let go," she sighed as he refused to release   
his hold.  
  
"You just got here," he pouted.  
  
"Doyle, Xander called me last night, and I'm Willow's only way of  
knowing he's okay."  
  
Doyle continued to pout, but released Cordelia.  
  
"I'll be back," she promised, kissing him lingeringly before getting   
up off the couch.  
  
After Cordelia had left, Charlotte asked, "So did you know you've been  
nominated for Slayer Watch tonight?"  
  
"It was my idea," Doyle replied. He saw her open her mouth to protest  
and interrupted her before she could start an argument. "After what  
happened to Buffy last night, I have no intention of letting you go   
out there tonight without me, Charlie."  
  
Charlotte glared at him for thirty seconds, and he gazed back at her,   
an amused look on his face. "I'm not--"  
  
"-- a little girl." Doyle finished the sentence for her. "Try again,  
Charlie. That one's been worn into the ground."  
  
"Doyle, I can protect myself a whole lot better when I'm not worrying  
about you," Charlotte insisted.  
  
"Oz and I will stay far enough out of the way, Charlotte, not to  
distract you. We're there strictly in case of emergency," Doyle said.  
  
"Fine," Charlotte said. "But I swear, Doyle, if you try to save me   
when I don't need it and get yourself hurt--"  
  
"--you'll kick my ass. I know, little sister, that you are more than  
capable of that. But thanks for reminding me of it every chance you  
get," Doyle said with a grin.  
  
"Somebody's gotta keep you from getting a big head," Charlotte   
shrugged. "Now what's for lunch?"  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
Willow's House  
2:00 pm  
  
  
Cordelia arrived at Willow's house, and Oz opened the door. "Hey, Oz,"  
she smiled.  
  
"Cordy, this is a surprise," Oz said, but stepped back to let her in.  
  
"Sorry, but I need to talk to Willow. She's here, isn't she?" Cordelia  
looked around, a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"She's asleep--"  
  
"No she's not," Willow said, coming down the hall. "She heard a knock   
on the door and decided to come out. Hi, Cordelia!" Willow smiled and   
the two hugged.  
  
"Hey, Willow," Cordelia said. The two girls had put their competitive  
attitudes behind them and discovered that they actually liked each  
other. Willow had been amazed at the change in Cordelia in the months  
since she'd left Sunnydale. Cordelia was far from the cruel, snobby,  
spoiled girl that Willow had known in highschool.  
  
"Well, I think I'll go and let you two talk," Oz said. "Devon had   
asked me if we could practice before we play at the Bronze tonight."  
  
"Hey, cool, the Dingoes are playing tonight? Sounds like fun,"   
Cordelia said.  
  
"Yeah, we've almost mastered three whole chords, you'll be amazed," Oz  
said with a grin. "See you there?" he asked Willow.  
  
"Of course," Willow kissed him on the cheek. "Where else would I be  
spending the evening?" Oz smiled at her then left.   
  
"So, come in, sit down," Willow said to Cordelia. "How's Angel?"  
  
"He's doing good, Willow," Cordelia replied with a smile. She was   
still amazed at Willow's ability to separate the demon Angelus from   
the man who was Angel. She was grateful for that side of Willow's   
personality, though, it had helped Angel to begin to forgive himself   
these past couple of months.  
  
"But I actually came here to tell you that Xander called me last   
night," Cordelia continued. She stopped to see how Willow would react.  
  
Willow looked at her blankly, then at the floor. She nodded, slowly,   
and finally said "How is he?"  
  
"He sounds like much better, Willow. He asked about you, first. Then  
Buffy. He said he's sleeping better, and that he and Anya are barely  
keeping from killing each other when they're in the car for too long."  
  
Willow giggled at that, she had always been surprised at how patient  
Xander was with Anya's less than perfect social skills. She could only  
imagine how annoying a bored Anya would be after hours in the   
car. "Did he say anything about..."  
  
"Coming back? No, and I didn't ask him. He is, though."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Willow asked.  
  
"Because I've seen first-hand just how much Xander Harris cares about  
you, Willow. Don't look at me like that, that's not what I'm implying.  
But even if you two are never going to be _together_, you're always  
going to be in each other's lives. He didn't leave town because he   
hates you, he left because he was hurting. Sure, it doesn't make   
sense to you or me, but it's how Xander is. It's his reflex reaction;   
he gets hurt,he pushes everyone away for a while. When he's able to   
get past what happened, he'll be back."  
  
"When did you turn into such a smart person?" Willow asked.  
  
"Gee... thanks, I think," Cordelia muttered.  
  
"That's not what I meant--"  
  
"I know, I know," Cordelia laughed. "Don't worry, I realize what a   
bitch I was in highschool--"  
  
[CRASH]  
  
Both girls looked at each other for a split second. The noise had come  
from the back of the house. "That was the back door," Willow   
whispered when they heard heavy footsteps in the hallway, "Follow me."  
  
Cordelia didn't need to be told twice, she and Willow ran out the   
front door. They heard someone or something following them close   
behind. Willow looked back to see that Adam was that something, and   
screamed, "RUN FASTER!" at Cordelia.  
  
Cordelia nodded and reached back for the other girl's hand. Cordelia's  
only thought was to get to Doyle's apartment. Hopefully Charlotte   
would be prepared for a confrontation with Adam.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
End two  



	3. Chapter Three

Paris  
11 pm  
  
"Will?" Drusilla wandered out onto the balcony where Spike was   
standing and smoking.  
  
"Yeah, Pet. Bored?" Spike asked. She smiled and walked up to him,   
wrapping her arms around him. He put his arms around her waist, and   
pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "That dress is perfect for   
you, Dru baby," Spike said appreciatively. It was a dark shade of   
red, fitted at the bodice, flowing out at the hips down to her feet.   
The color brought out her jet-black hair, and perfectly matched the   
red of her lips. "It would've been worth the money the dressmaker   
asked for it," he added with a grin.  
  
"I was hungry," Dru pouted.  
  
He laughed, "Oh, I'm not mad at you, Pet. It was rather fun holding   
him for you while you fed. Just like old times."  
  
"Can we go hunting now?" Dru asked.  
  
Spike grinned and kissed her passionately. "There's nothing I would  
rather do...well, one thing, but that can wait till later," he leered   
at her.  
  
She giggled, "After dinner, Spike." She dodged out of his grasp and   
ran out the door with him at her heels.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
L.A.  
2:30 pm  
  
"It's such a beautiful day," Buffy said. She and Angel were at a   
nearby park, laying on a blanket, having finished their lunch.  
  
"Is it? I hadn't noticed," Angel smiled, and leaned in to kiss her   
again.  
  
Buffy giggled, "Well, if you'd spend less time looking at me--"  
  
"Never," he interrupted.  
  
"--And more time paying attention to your surroundings, you'd know   
that. I would've figured you'd be more interested in being outside in   
the sun, Angel. I mean I'm flattered and...uh..." She lost her train   
of thought as he continued to plant kisses down her jawline to her   
neck. She grabbed his head and guided it back up to capture his lips   
with his. "What was I saying again?" she asked when he pulled away to   
catch his breath.   
  
He chuckled, and said, "It couldn't have been that important."  
  
"Hey! Everything I say is important!" she said, feigning offense at   
his remark.  
  
"Sure it is, Buffy," Angel said patronizingly. "Ow! Okay, okay, it   
is," he conceded when she hit him.  
  
"That's right, and don't you forget it," she replied smiling. "Come   
on," she said, pushing him off her.  
  
"Hey, I was comfortable," Angel protested.  
  
"Yeah, well, I was thinking we could move somewhere we could both get   
a lot _more_ comfortable," she said suggestively. She smirked at the   
speed in which he gathered the picnic basket and blanket and stood   
next to her.   
  
"Okay, let's go," he said with a grin.  
  
"Are you sure? I thought you were comfortable here," Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy," Angel whined.  
  
She laughed at his reaction, and threw her arms around his   
neck. "Okay, my love, take me home," she said kissing him. She   
giggled when he picked her up and carried her to his car, not   
breaking the kiss.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
Memphis TN  
4:30 pm  
  
"Xander, hello!"  
  
Xander looked over at Anya, who had taken over driving for a while.  
"Huh? Sorry, Anya. I drifted."  
  
"I noticed. I was just asking if you'd decided."  
  
Xander tried to remember what the decision was regarding....*Oh, yeah.  
Where do we want to stop tonight.* "Wherever we decide to stop, Anya,   
it will be for longer than a few nights. We're low on money again. So   
we'll keep driving until we find a place that looks promising enough   
for me to find a job for while."  
  
Anya shook her head, but stayed silent. *I don't know how much longer   
I want to live like this. I won't say that to him though, not yet   
anyway. He is starting to act like the Xander I remember from before,   
so maybe he's almost ready to stop. I don't even care if we don't end   
up in Sunnydale. I just want to stop somewhere.*  
  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Doyle's Apartment  
2:30 pm  
  
"So okay, you've determined four out of five demons that make up the  
demon part of Adam," Charlotte said. "Then there's the human part. And  
then the machine, but--"  
  
"Charlotte!!!" They heard a female voice outside yell.  
  
"Cordy," Doyle gasped, but Charlotte was already to her room and out   
the door, with a crossbow in one hand, knife in her jeans pocket and   
a stake in the other hand. Doyle was close on her heels, grabbing an   
axe on his way out.  
  
Willow and Cordelia were running down the street toward them, and Adam  
was close behind. "Shit!" Doyle yelled. "Guess we get to find out now  
how much damage we can do to him now."  
  
"I'm ready," Charlie said grimly. "Stay back, Doyle, unless it's   
obvious I need help."  
  
"Watch out for his right arm, he can extend that poker-thing out of   
it," Willow managed between gasps for air as she and Cordelia reached  
Charlotte.  
  
Charlotte put herself between the girls and Adam, and Adam slowed as   
if to size her up first. "A picture would last longer," Charlotte   
said.  
  
Adam smiled, and said, "I was just taking the time to remember what   
you looked like when all in one piece. Because I plan to take you   
apart one limb at a time."  
  
"Uh-huh. Promises, promises. I've heard a lot of tough talk, but no  
demon's ever been able to make good on it before. What makes you think  
you're any different?" Charlotte taunted.  
  
"I was made to kill and not to be killed," Adam replied as if that  
explained everything.  
  
"Oh. Let's just see about that, shall we?" Charlotte said and threw   
her stake at him. It landed in his chest, where his heart would have   
been. He didn't even flinch, though. He charged her, throwing out his   
right arm. It caught her on the side of the head and she went flying.  
  
"Charlie!" Doyle yelled, but Cordelia held him back.  
  
"Doyle, she's okay, she's getting up," Cordelia said. Doyle saw that  
Charlie was getting to her feet slowly. Adam was standing less than a  
foot away from her. He pulled the stake out of his chest and laughed,  
saying, "I have no heart. It wouldn't be _that_ easy, human."  
  
"No heart huh? Now why doesn't that surprise me," Charlie muttered as  
she backed away.  
  
They circled each other slowly; Adam trying to move in on Charlie,  
Charlie trying to stay out of harm's way but still keep him away from  
the others. She misjudged at one point though, and he stabbed her in   
the side with a poker which extended from his right arm. Charlotte  
screamed and went down.  
  
End of Three  



	4. Chapter Four

Sunnydale  
Doyle's Apartment  
3:30 pm  
  
"Charlie!" Doyle yelled, but Cordelia held him back. At that moment, a  
wall of fire sprang up between Adam and the others, effectively   
blocking Adam from harming them further. Doyle and Cordelia stood   
motionless in shock, but Charlie wasn't taking the reprieve for   
granted. She stumbled to her feet shakily and gasped, "Inside! Now!"   
pushing the others to the door.  
  
Adam, meanwhile, had stubbornly tried to continue his attack, getting  
badly burned several times before deciding to retreat with a parting  
roar of anger. Cordelia looked back and saw him running back down the  
street. *Yeah, but how long before he decides he's bored again,* she  
wondered.  
  
When they got inside, Doyle shoved a large bookshelf against the door.  
Charlie slumped down to sit against the wall, pressing her hand to the  
wound to try to stop the bleeding. Doyle crouched down next to her,   
and checked her wound. "We have to get you to the hospital," he said.  
  
Charlie opened her mouth to argue, but at the look on his face thought  
better of it.  
  
Cordelia saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Willow fall  
to the floor in a faint. "Willow!" she ran over to the girl, and   
pulled her onto the couch, "Willow?" she checked her pulse to be sure   
that Willow was okay. "What is going on here?" Cordelia directed at   
Doyle.  
  
"My guess is that we owe Willow for the pyrotechnics," Doyle replied.  
  
"But how--"  
  
"I'm familiar with the spell, but it's really difficult." Doyle  
answered. "I wouldn't have thought she had the power in her. Any spell  
that powerful really drains the person who performs it, but she'll be  
okay. Call Giles and warn him and Wesley that they might be next on   
the Adam agenda. Tell him that we're going to take Charlie to the   
hospital, they can meet us there if they think it's safe."  
  
"What about Willow? We can't leave her here," Cordelia said, while  
dialing Giles' number.  
  
"She'll come out of it soon," Doyle said. He went to the kitchen to   
grab a towel and knelt down next to Charlotte, trying to stop the   
bleeding.  
  
"Giles said they'll come over here and keep an eye on Willow. He said   
he thinks she'll wake up soon, but she'll be weak," Cordelia said as   
she hung up the phone.  
  
Doyle walked over to Willow, and checked her pulse. It was still   
strong, a good sign. Willow stirred then, and opened her eyes. "Well   
hello, there. You should warn us next time you're going to throw fire   
like that," Doyle teased her.  
  
"It was a sudden inspiration, and besides, I wasn't sure it would   
work," Willow replied, sitting up. "How'd I get inside?"  
  
Cordelia smiled and said said, "I think we kinda shoved you inside,   
and then you fainted."  
  
"Fainted?" Willow replied. "I don't faint!" she insisted.  
  
"Sure, you just decided to take a little nap," Charlotte said  
sarcastically. "On the floor," she added.  
  
"Where's Adam?" Willow asked, looking around apprehensively.  
  
"He went running off," Cordelia answered. "Hopefully in a different  
direction than the one Giles and Wesley will be coming from."  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Paris  
1 am  
  
Drusilla and Spike returned to their house after hunting. "Had enough,  
Pet?" Spike asked.  
  
"Mm, yes," she said with a smile, sitting down on the couch. "Why does  
European blood taste so much better?"  
  
"Classier people, I guess," Spike shrugged, lighting a cigarette. "I  
just love that we can hunt the way we were made to. Not having to   
worry about blonde girls with stakes or giant rampaging hybrid demons   
with an attitude. While we're here, I've got a little business to   
take care of. Something that will help us both."  
  
He walked over to a stack of books that he kept on a nearby table, and  
leafed through it. "Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Paris, Drusilla.   
These books say we'll find the very thing I've been looking for for   
years right here. Something that will make the remainder of our un-  
lives very fun."  
  
"What's that?" Drusilla asked.  
  
"It's a surprise, Dru," Spike teased, his eyes sparkling.  
  
"For me?" she said hopefully.  
  
"This is for both of us, Dru. When I find it, we'll go back to the  
Hellmouth, and I'll finally be the Master vampire of that town. And no  
Slayer will be able to stop us," he said.  
  
"Will?" Drusilla walked up to him and put her arms around his neck,  
smiling up at him.  
  
"Yes, Pet?"  
  
"Is it later yet?" she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.  
  
"Wha-- Oh," Spike's eyes darkened with desire as he remembered his  
remark before they had left to hunt. "Yeah," he said. He stood,   
picking her up and kissing her before adding, "it's most definitely   
later," as he carried her to the bedroom.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
5 pm  
  
Giles, Wesley, Oz and Willow arrived at the hospital. They found  
Charlotte's room, and Doyle and Cordelia were sitting outside. "Is she  
okay?" Willow asked Doyle.  
  
"The doctors are amazed that she's healing so fast," Doyle replied   
with a smile. "She's got four of them in there right now asking her   
all kinds of questions. So, other than being incredibly irritated   
with all the attention, yeah, she's fine."  
  
"How about you, Willow?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Willow replied. "Embarrassed at passing out like that--"  
  
"Don't be!" Cordelia interrupted. "You got rid of Adam, that was so  
amazing!"  
  
Willow smiled, and looked to where Giles and Wesley were standing   
behind her. "Giles still gave me the 'being careful and cautious with   
magic' lecture."  
  
Giles was saved from defending himself by the sound of Charlotte's  
voice. "Guys!" she yelled.  
  
"What's wrong, kid?" Doyle said as he and the others went into the   
room. Charlie had a horrified look on her face, she pointed at the TV   
above his head. They looked up, and she turned up the sound.  
  
The television news program showed the center of town, but it wasn't a  
pleasant sight. Several buildings were on fire, and cars were   
overturned along the street. The reporter began to speak, "This Rita   
Malone, reporting from the center of Sunnydale. The street you're   
looking at is Main Street, although you may not recognize it right   
now. Just in the last hour, we've started to receive reports of a   
group of men who have gone through the center of town attacking   
people, breaking windows of the local businesses, overturning cars,   
setting fires. We've been told that there are ten people dead so far,   
although we can't get confirmation on that yet. The men are who are   
doing these terrible acts have been able to withstand any attempts by   
the local law enforcement agencies to stop them so far."  
  
"I can't watch anymore," Charlotte said, angrily turning it off. She  
tried to get out of bed, but Doyle went to stop her, grabbing her arm.  
"Doyle, if you think I'm staying here, while that creature Adam   
destroys this town and kills half the population, you've got another   
thing coming."  
  
"What the hell are you going to do about it?!" Doyle yelled. "Run out  
there, find him and get yourself killed? That's not going to help  
anyone!"  
  
"I can't do _nothing_!" Charlotte yelled back. She shook off Doyle's  
grip on her arm, and jumped out of bed on the other side. Oz blocked   
her at the exit.   
  
"Don't do it, Charlotte," he said quietly.  
  
"What is wrong with you people! We've wasted two months talking  
about how to stop Adam, and it hasn't gotten us any closer to stopping  
him. I'm going to go out there, and trust my Slayer instincts to tell   
me how to stop him. Something I, Buffy and I, should've done a long   
time ago. She tried to push Oz out of the way, but he didn't   
budge. "Dammit, Oz! Move!" she yelled.  
  
Before she could charge Oz again, though, Doyle grabbed her around the  
waist, holding her arms to her side. "Doyle! Let go!" she yelled,  
struggling to free herself.  
  
"Charlotte, calm down," Doyle said. "Or I'll get those doctors back in  
here to make you calm down."  
  
"You wouldn't," Charlotte replied.  
  
"Don't tempt me," Doyle warned. "I got to watch you get skewered once  
already today, I have no intention of letting that happen twice. Now   
if I let you go will you go sit down?"  
  
Charlotte nodded, and he released her. She went and sat on the edge of  
the bed, and glared at Doyle. "Now what?" she said through her gritted  
teeth.  
  
"Charlotte," Giles said, "I think it's safe to say that the Initiative  
have started to mobilize and do their part to stop Adam and whatever  
demons have been assisting him today. I don't think they can stop   
him, but I do think they can make life more difficult for him for the   
time being.  
  
"Wesley, Willow and I were discussing a possible way to destroy Adam  
earlier today. I had dismissed it as being unlikely to work, but I now  
think I was wrong...."  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
L.A.  
Angel's apartment  
5:30 pm  
  
Angel and Buffy were napping when Angel's cellphone rang. "Don't do   
it," Buffy mumbled sleepily as she felt Angel move to answer it.  
  
"I have to," Angel said, but she tried to hold him back, unconvinced.  
"Buffy, the only people who have that number only use it in  
emergencies," Angel added. Buffy immediately released him, wondering  
what emergency had ruined their weekend together this time.  
  
"Yeah," Angel answered. "Cordy, hi....What?"  
  
Angel turned away from Buffy, but she caught the worried look on his  
face and silently began getting dressed.  
  
"When?" Angel continued to question Cordelia. "Is she okay? What about  
Willow?"  
  
"What's wrong with Willow!" Buffy demanded, grabbing the phone from   
him. "Cordy? What's wrong with Will?"  
  
"She's fine, Buffy," Cordelia answered. "Look, we don't have a lot of  
time to waste, so I can't give you the long story. But short story: we  
had a run in with Adam. Charlie got hurt, Willow saved us. Now Adam's  
going around town killing people and destroying everything in his   
path. How soon can you come back?"  
  
"We're out the door right now," Buffy said, in a resigned tone of   
voice. When she ended the call, she looked to Angel and said, "Well,   
that was a fun normal day while it lasted. But I gotta go, so--"  
  
"I'm coming," Angel replied.  
  
She thought about arguing, but it didn't seem that she had time to   
waste doing that, according to Cordelia. "Fine," she nodded.  
  
"I'll drive," Angel called after her as she headed up the stairs.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
Holiday Inn  
Kansas City, Kansas  
8 pm  
  
Anya and Xander were sitting on the bed of their latest hotel room  
eating pizza. "So why Kansas?" Anya asked.  
  
"Seemed like it might be a good place to stay for a while," Xander  
shrugged. "I'm sure I can find a job somewhere for a while.   
Construction or something. Why not?"  
  
"Just curious as to why we just backtracked."  
  
"We didn't backtrack," Xander replied. "I never claimed to have a   
plan, Anya." He reached over and grabbed the remote. "Wait a second,   
that looks like...."  
  
"--not sure exactly who is responsible for this destruction and  
the...well, reports are twenty-five murders so far. But let's hope the  
true count is much less, considering this just started a couple of   
hours ago. The good news is that the military has responded to this   
situation, although we're not sure how they responded so fast, or   
where they came from. Reports are that these soldiers, well-armed and   
trying their best to stop this assault on the town, appeared as   
suddenly as this group of murderers."  
  
The other news anchor broke in then. "Let's get those people who may  
have joined us in the last few minutes up to speed. This is a small   
town in California, near Los Angeles, right?"  
  
The reporter answered, "Yes, it's called Sunnydale...."  
  
"What?!" Xander yelled, jumping off the bed, still staring at the   
scene unfolding before him on the television.  
  
"Xander, it's Adam," Anya said. "Buffy and that new red-headed Slayer  
can stop him--"  
  
"If they could stop him, they wouldn't have let it get this far  
already," Xander replied. "Something's wrong."  
  
"Maybe," Anya shrugged and reached for another piece of pizza.  
  
"You aren't upset? Why aren't you upset?" Xander said.  
  
"It's not really my home, Xander. The only reason I stayed in   
Sunnydale after I lost my powers was because of you," Anya   
replied. "And as for the Slayer, oh sorry, Slayers and the Scoobies,   
they were never really my friends. There was a time when you thought   
they weren't really yours, either. Have you changed your mind about   
that?"  
  
"Huh?" Xander gave her a blank look.  
  
Anya rolled her eyes, "When do you want to leave?" she asked.  
  
"Again, I return to...huh?" he said.  
  
"I'm not going to make this decision for you, Xander," Anya   
replied. "If you want to go back to Sunnydale, I'll go with you of   
course. Or we can stay here, and let Buffy and that other girl kill   
the demons by themselves. It's up to you," she shrugged, and grabbed   
another piece of pizza.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
END Four  



	5. Chapter Five

Sunnydale Hospital  
6 pm  
  
Cordelia hung up the phone and said, "Okay, they're coming, but it   
will be at least two hours before they get here. So do you really   
think the plan--AGH!" She yelled, and grabbed her head in her hands.   
Doyle caught her as her legs gave out and she leaned on him until the   
vision had passed.  
  
When she had stopped yelling, Wesley was waiting with some of the  
migraine pills he had learned to keep handy. "Thanks," she said,  
gratefully, and accepted the cup of water that Willow offered her.  
"Don't suppose you could take those back?" she said to Doyle, as she  
straightened up, but let him continue to hold her.  
  
"I would if I could, Cordelia," he said apologetically.  
  
"Doesn't hurt to ask," she sighed. "Okay. It was a group of demons, I  
don't know what they were, except they were mean. They had some nasty  
looking swords, and they were in the Bronze. We have some time,   
though. The Dingoes were playing."  
  
"Was Adam there?" Willow asked.  
  
"I didn't see him, but then again those visions aren't very specific  
sometimes. Maybe he's planning on showing up after his pals have some  
fun first."  
  
"Let me make a few calls," Giles said. "Maybe I can convince the local  
Police Department to close down The Bronze for the evening."  
  
"Yeah right," Oz said. "I gotta get down there and warn the guys.   
Maybe if we cancel the concert people will leave on their own."  
  
"I'm going with you," Willow said.  
  
"Willow--"  
  
"Don't argue with me," she warned. "Remember my resolved face?" she  
showed it to him, and continued. "Going out there alone is suicidal.   
And before you even say I need to rest, I'm fine."  
  
"I don't think either of you should be going anywhere," Giles  
interrupted. "Oz, if your fellow bandmembers are at the Bronze, call  
them and tell them to get out. You, all of you, will be needed later  
when we go up against Adam." He waited to see if there would be any  
argument, but there wasn't. "Okay. So, Oz make your calls. Then as I  
said before, I'll make some calls and see if I can get the place   
closed early."  
  
Oz realized that he couldn't argue with Giles' logic, so he didn't. He  
went out to the hall to use the payphone.  
  
"Giles, I agree with you that we need to stick together and out of   
harm, but don't we need to get some things from your place?" Wesley   
suggested.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we do," Giles said. "I thought about moving all of us  
there to wait for Buffy and Angel, but that would be too dangerous. If  
Adam is going to go on the attack, that is one of the places he'd go  
eventually. I'm open to any suggestions as to where we could stay   
until we locate Adam."  
  
"What about the school library?" Willow suggested. "I mean Sunnydale  
High. I know it's all burnt out and everything, but I doubt anyone   
would expect us to be there."  
  
Giles said, "That might work--"  
  
"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!" Cordelia screamed again, and Giles added drily,  
"--if we didn't need a sound-proof room."  
  
"Not...funny," Cordelia gasped. "Oh, God, I'm gonna be sick," she  
moaned. She pulled out of Doyle's arms and ran to the bathroom,   
slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Cordelia?" Doyle knocked on the door. "You okay?"  
  
"No!" Cordy yelled, not opening the door.  
  
"Oookay, so.... who's gonna get the weapons and stuff from your   
place?" Doyle asked Giles.  
  
"Well, I know exactly what is needed, so myself," Giles said. "And any  
two others who are willing to come along."  
  
"Me," Charlotte said, and the expression on her face dared Doyle to  
argue.  
  
Doyle ran his hand through his hair wearily, and responded, "I'd come  
but--"  
  
"No, stay with Cordelia," Charlotte said. "It looks like she's going   
to keep getting visions until we've returned Sunnydale to the semi-  
normal place it was before tonight."  
  
Cordelia exited the bathroom, and Doyle put his arm around her,   
alarmed at her appearance. Her face was pale, and she had been   
crying. "I'm okay," she said unconvincingly. "I just...that was   
awful. Adam this time," she said. "It was like watching someone in   
highschool biology lab...except in his case, he was dissecting   
people." She shuddered at the memory, and Doyle held her tighter,   
trying to comfort her.  
  
"Where?" Giles asked.  
  
"He's going to be at the Bronze. I don't know how much time we have. I  
wish I did."  
  
"Bad news," Oz said, re-entering Charlotte's hospital room. "I had   
Devon ask the owner of the Bronze to close down early. He refused,   
it's one of his biggest nights for making money, he said."  
  
"Why is it that people refuse to act sensibly on the Hellmouth?" Giles  
muttered. "Very well, then. I guess we are forced to a change in   
plans. Someone needs to stay behind to tell Buffy and Angel where the   
others are. But the rest will go to my apartment and stockpile on   
weapons. Then we'll go to the Bronze, to wait for the attack by Adam   
and his demon minions. We will hold them off as long as we need to,   
because I don't have much hope for stopping this without Buffy's   
help. No offense meant against you, Charlotte, but I was always of   
the opinion that the two of you would need to work together to defeat   
Adam."  
  
"No offense taken, Giles," Charlotte replied. "I understand, and  
especially after this afternoon, I agree. Besides maybe we'll get   
lucky and Buffy will show up before Adam does."  
  
"Now that would be welcome, considering things haven't gone our way  
yet," Wesley said.  
  
"I'll stay behind, and wait for them," Cordelia offered. She noted  
Doyle's concerned expression and said, "No, you're not staying with   
me. You're going to be needed at the Bronze more than here. I'll just   
take that bottle of pills that Wesley keeps in his pocket and keep   
them handy for the next vision."  
  
"Are you sure?" Doyle asked. "I can stick around--"  
  
"Doyle, really, I appreciate the offer, but no. Go save the city from  
the demons. I'll catch up with you guys later."  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
8:30 pm  
  
  
Buffy and Angel arrived at the hospital and found Cordelia. "Where is  
everyone?" Buffy demanded, not noticing Cordelia's wince in response   
to the sudden onslaught of sound. Angel saw it though, and guessed,  
"Visions?" with a worried look on his face.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Cordelia said softly. "Too many to count. I think I've  
already overdosed on migraine pills," she added, pulling the bottle   
out of her purse and frowning at it.  
  
"I'm sure you have," Angel said, retrieving the bottle from her grasp,  
ignoring her "Hey!" of protest. "Sit down," he said firmly, helping   
her to a nearby chair.  
  
"Sorry, Cordelia," Buffy said reluctantly. She still hadn't gotten   
used to the idea of Cordelia and Angel being close friends; although   
she insisted to herself that she wasn't jealous of Cordy.  
  
"It's okay," Cordelia replied. "They're all at the Bronze. I got a  
vision of some demons doing all kinds of fun demony stuff there. Then   
I got a view of Adam's idea of fun, also at the Bronze. They left   
about an hour or so ago, to try to hold the demons off. They were   
hoping that Adam wouldn't show up before you did."  
  
"What's the plan?" Angel asked.  
  
"For the other demons, just the normal slaying stuff. But for Adam,  
Giles thinks that he and Willow can manage a paralyzing spell. But it  
takes time to do all the chanting and stuff, so until it works the   
idea is to keep Adam distracted and away from Giles and Willow.   
  
"Then when Adam is under the control of the spell, someone is   
supposed to cut his head off. And then, to make sure that he doesn't   
grow another one, Willow is stopping by her chem lab for some   
acid....I can't remember what kind, but it's the kind that will eat   
away at anything it touches."  
  
"Gross!" Buffy said, revolted by the mental image that was suggested.  
  
"Yeah, you got it. Use the acid to destroy the body," Cordelia said.  
  
"Well, it should work," Angel said.  
  
"_Should_," Buffy replied. "Meaning we're counting on a whole lot of  
things to work together in order for this plan to work." She sighed,   
and said, "Okay, let's go. It's better than nothing."  
  
  
END of FIVE  



	6. Chapter Six

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Paris  
Sunday morning, 5 am  
  
Spike returned to the house shortly before sunrise. He'd been out most  
of the evening, trying to locate some of his fledglings from his   
earlier days in Europe. He'd found enough of them to assure himself   
of getting some help later that night.  
  
"Dru?" he called. "Come on, Pet. I know you're irritated with me for  
leaving you here alone. But I didn't have time to protect you from   
every bloody vampire that wanted to make you his. I had important   
things to take care of."  
  
He found Dru in their bedroom. She was sitting up, leaning against the  
headboard, playing with Miss Edith. She didn't look up as he entered.  
"Drusilla, how long are you going to give me the silent treatment?"  
Spike asked. He sat next to her and kissed her cheek, saying, "I'll   
find you someone to torture later, will that make you happy?"  
  
She didn't respond, brushing Miss Edith's hair. "Dru, look at  
me," Spike said, grabbing her chin and turning her to face him. He  
searched her eyes, and sighed sadly as he realized she'd left reality  
again.   
  
As if to reinforce this, she said, "I don't hear him anymore, you   
know." She still didn't look at him, possibly not realizing he was   
even there.  
  
Spike shook his head. "Bloody hell. Well, I suppose I should be glad   
you were lucid for a whole two months," he muttered under his breath.   
More loudly, he replied to her statement, "Who don't you hear, Pet?"  
  
"My Angel," she said. "I went all the way to that awful place, with   
all those nasty demons, because I heard him calling to me. And then I   
got there, and he stopped talking! We could've been together again,   
like the old days. Why'd he stop talking to me!" she wailed.  
  
She was agitated now, and began to pull at her hair. Spike grabbed her  
hands and held them to her sides, trying to keep her from hurting  
herself. "Drusilla, I will tie you up if I have to," Spike   
growled. "Do you hear me?"  
  
"NOO!!!" she shrieked, struggling to free herself. "Let me go! You're   
a mean, mean boy! I want my daddy!"  
  
Her strength during these spells always caught Spike by surprise, and   
it did this time as well. She shoved him so hard he went flying   
across the room, and she ran for the door. His game-face emerged, and   
he shook it off, knowing that it frightened her when she was like   
this. He growled and ran after her, grabbing her as she opened the   
front door.  
  
"Bloody hell, you psycho!" He yelled, as she let the sunlight pour   
into the room. He pulled her away just before either of them burst   
into flames, and slammed the door. "What're you trying to do, kill us  
both??!" he demanded.  
  
She burst into tears and ran to a corner, crying. She shut her eyes  
tightly, and rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around   
her waist. "Good one, Spike. Make her afraid of you, why don't ya," he  
muttered. He took a deep breath, and raked his hand through his blond  
hair in a gesture of frustration.  
  
"Drusilla," he said softly, approaching her slowly. "It's okay, Pet.  
It's me. You remember Will, don't you?" he asked.  
  
She opened her eyes and looked up at him her expression was one of  
terror. That changed to confusion, though, as she said "Will?"  
  
"Yes, Baby. It's me," he said soothingly, taking a few more steps   
toward her. He stopped, to ensure that he wouldn't have to chase her   
when she bolted again. When she made no move to do so, he closed the   
distance between them, and knelt down beside her.  
  
"I don't hear him anymore. Why did he stop talking to me?" she asked  
Spike tearfully.  
  
"I don't know," Spike lied, and gathered her into his arms. He had no  
intention of telling Drusilla the rumors he had heard: that their Sire  
was now a human again.  
  
*She's already barely holding on to her sanity, that would just send   
her over the edge forever.*  
  
He carried her back to their bed, and laid her on it. "You won't find   
it here, you know," she said.  
  
"What's that, Dru?" Spike replied, sitting on the bed next to her.  
  
"It's not here. They moved it after you found the first one," Drusilla  
answered.  
  
Spike was in shock. *How the hell does she even know-*  
  
"Miss Edith told me," Drusilla said, in answer to his unspoken   
question. "They moved the other one. So your books won't help you,   
Spike. They didn't want to risk you finding it."  
  
"How do you know that they moved it?" Spike questioned her.  
  
"I heard them. There's too many voices, usually I just push them away.  
But I heard one of them say your name, so I listened," Drusilla  
responded.  
  
"What do you mean, you heard them. Was it a vision?" Spike pressed.  
  
"I don't know, I just heard them," Dru frowned. "I'm tired. The sun   
means time to sleep," she said and closed her eyes.  
  
"Where--" Spike started to question her further, but stopped himself.  
*She'll tell me when she feels like it; and she's just stubborn enough  
to refuse to tell me if I push too hard. I'll let her sleep for now.*  
  
He stripped silently to and laid down on the bed next to her. She   
rolled over and snuggled up next to him, laying her head on his   
chest. He put his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head.  
  
Drusilla fell into a fitful sleep eventually. Spike stayed awake   
though, afraid that if he let himself sleep he would awake to find   
that his Drusilla had disappeared into the daylight.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
  
Xander entered the Bronze, and he saw Willow sitting at a table across  
the room. He noticed that Oz and the Dingoes were playing onstage.  
Xander walked toward the table, but when he was still twenty feet   
away, he saw Adam appear behind Willow. "Willow look out!" Xander   
yelled.  
  
Willow's face lit up, as she searched for the origin of the voice that  
she knew so well, not seeing Adam behind her. Xander watched in horror  
as Adam stabbed her with the metal protrusion coming from his arm,   
clean through her chest. "NO!" Xander screamed, and started running   
toward Willow. He saw Oz jump off the stage and run at Adam.  
  
"OZ! Don't do it!" Xander yelled, but suddenly, there was a crowd of  
people standing in Xander's way, dancing, oblivious to the danger  
lurking near them. Xander fought his way through the crowd, but was  
unable to keep the inevitable from happening. He watched, helpless, as  
Adam swung his arm, stabbing Oz as well. Oz fell to the ground at   
Adam's feet, dead.  
  
"NO!" Xander yelled, still fighting through the crowd. He saw that   
Buffy had walked toward the table then. Buffy saw her two dead   
friends and charged Adam. Adam swatted her away like a fly, and then   
walked over to where she was lying unconscious. He picked Buffy up   
like a rag-doll, and then snapped her neck, throwing her back to the   
ground when he was done.  
  
Adam saw Xander then, and laughed cruelly. The crowd that was in  
Xander's way dissipated and Xander walked up to Adam slowly. "You made  
it so easy," Adam said, smiling.  
  
"What?" Xander asked. He looked at Buffy, lying dead at his feet, and  
then to Willow lying a few feet away, also dead.  
  
"You did this," Adam replied. "The Slayer and the Witch depended on   
you, they drew their strength from their friendships with you. They   
lost their power when you left."  
  
"No," Xander said, closing his eyes against the sight of the mangled  
bodies on the floor. He opened them again, and to his shock, Adam had  
left. "Why didn't he kill me?" he asked, wishing that he had.  
  
He looked over to Willow again, and noticed that she was still  
breathing, shallowly. "Willow," he said, kneeling next to her. He  
reached down and pushed the hair back from her face, repeating,  
"Willow." He looked at the gaping wound in her chest, and pressed his  
hand against it, trying to stop the bleeding. "Wake up, Wills," he  
pleaded. "Stay with me, it will be okay."  
  
Willow opened her eyes then, and asked, "How could you let this   
happen?"  
  
  
Xander sat up in bed suddenly, wrenching himself out of the nightmare.  
"Just a dream, just a dream," he told himself. He looked to the other  
side of the bed, but Anya wasn't there. He saw a light under the  
bathroom door, and realized the shower was on. That answered that  
question. He noticed the time, it was 10:30. He had brushed off Anya's  
question earlier, saying he had no need to return to Sunnydale. The   
last thing he remembered was they had been watching movies, he must   
have dozed off.  
  
"Oh, hi. You okay?" Anya emerged from the bathroom, wearing one of his  
T-shirts.  
  
"Fine," Xander replied. At her skeptical look, he said, "I just had a  
nightmare."  
  
"The bags are packed," Anya replied, already pulling on her jeans.  
  
"You really know me too well," Xander said, shaking his head.  
  
She smiled, and walked over to kiss him. "We've got a long drive ahead  
of us. At least you slept a little, so I'll sleep in the car while  
you drive. When you get tired, I'll take over. Do you want to call  
anyone first?"  
  
"No," he said. "They've got their hands full, and we won't get there   
til morning anyway. I just hope..." he trailed off, remembering his   
dream.  
  
"They'll be fine," Anya reassured him. "They've dealt with worse   
things than this, and they have always survived. Come on, Xander.   
Let's go home."  
  
He nodded and they grabbed their bags, going to the car.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
The Bronze  
Saturday, 8:30 pm  
  
"I'm running out of ideas," Charlotte warned as she threw a chair at a  
very tall, very angry Apocalyse demon.  
  
"Well, throwing random things doesn't help," Doyle replied, currently  
busy sword-fighting a chaos demon. "Try the axe."  
  
"What axe?!" Charlie yelled, "You mean the one that annoying vampire  
grabbed out of my hand and ran off with, laughing hysterically?!" She  
stifled a giggle as she noticed her brother had reverted to demon   
form. She knew he was supposed to be threatening, but didn't have the   
heart to tell him that he wasn't.  
  
"Oh. Yeah, suppose I do mean that one," Doyle shrugged, quickly   
throwing her a grin before returning to his sword-fight.  
  
They had been in the Bronze for two hours fighting demons, and they   
were running out of energy and weapons. The problem was that the   
demons were replacable. When the gang had succeeded in destroying one   
batch, the next arrived. Charlie was beginning to worry that whether   
or not Buffy arrived soon, the fight with Adam would be in his favor.   
The rest of the patrons of the Bronze had wisely vacated the   
building, and it was just the Scooby gang, including the newly   
adopted members, and a few hundred of the demon occupants of the   
Hellmouth.  
  
Willow, Wesley and Giles arrived then, and set up the magic supplies   
in a secluded corner. "Finally," Charlotte said. "Oz, look out!" she  
yelled, as she saw the danger to the young man. Oz turned and threw a  
stake, and the slime demon fell dead at his feet.  
  
"Thanks," Oz said.  
  
"No problem," Charlie replied, followed with "oomph," as the   
Apocalypse demon she had forgotten about got in a punch to her   
midsection.  
  
"Need help?" Wesley offered. He had succeeded in beheading the   
vampiress that was intent on feeding off him for dinner, and threw   
his axe to Charlotte.  
  
"Yes, thanks," she said and swung the axe, decapitating the demon. She  
turned as she heard Doyle yell. The chaos demon's last swing had   
knocked Doyle's sword out of his hand. He then ducked as he felt   
rather than saw the axe fly by his head. It landed in the demon's   
chest, but didn't kill him. It was enough to make him run away, the   
axe still lodge in his chest.  
  
"What is this, 'take the Slayer's weapon and run' night???" Charlie  
wondered.  
  
She turned at the sound of Willow's shriek, a vampire had grabbed  
her. She was caught unprepared, and now was resorting to kicking and  
hitting to holding him off. Giles was unable to assist her, as he had  
been tackled by five slime demons who were enjoying using him for a   
punching bag. Wesley was busy himself, he'd been descended upon by a   
group of vampires, irritated at him for helping the Slayer.  
  
"This is reeeeally getting old," Charlotte muttered and pulled a   
bottle of holy water out of her pocket. She threw it at the vampires   
who had surrounded Wesley, and they ran off, shrieking. She then saw   
that Oz had dispatched the vampire who had attacked Willow, so she   
went to Giles' assistance.  
  
"Hey!" she yelled, trying and succeeding in getting the demons'   
attention. They turned to face her, and to her surprise they went   
running away as well.  
  
"Something tells me that I wasn't the one who inspired _that_ sudden  
exit," she said.  
  
"Good assumption," she heard Adam's voice behind her.  
  
"Oh, great," she sighed, turning to face him. "Just when I was hoping  
you were a no-show."  
  
"I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to finish what I started earlier,"  
Adam said with a smile.  
  
Charlotte glanced behind her to see that Willow and Giles were   
preparing to begin their spell. Wesley, Oz, and Doyle joined her,   
knowing that keeping Adam away from those two was the most important   
part of their plan to destroy Adam.  
  
Just then, a group of the Initiative commandos burst through the door.  
  
"Dammit, why can't one thing go right tonight!" Charlotte yelled  
irritably. She and the others ran for cover as the commandos saw Adam  
and started shooting, oblivious to the humans around them.  
  
&&&&&&&&  
End of Six  



	7. Chapter Seven

The Bronze 9 pm  
  
Charlotte, Doyle, Oz, Willow Giles and Wesley ducked into a side room,  
as Forrest and the rest of the Initiative opened fire on Adam and the  
other demons. "What the hell are they doing?" Charlotte grumbled.  
"..besides getting themselves murdered, that is."  
  
"Well, they interrupted the spell, which means that we have to start  
over," Giles sighed.  
  
"That's just fine, so all that stuff the last ten minutes was for  
nothing," Charlotte muttered. "I have to get those guys out of here."   
As soon as the current round of shooting had stopped, she ran out.  
  
Buffy, Angel and Cordelia had entered, and Buffy was arguing with  
Forrest. Adam had disappeared, and Charlotte was not happy about that.  
"Stop! You're not doing anything to him," Buffy tried to   
explain. "Besides ticking him off and ruining our chances of stopping   
him."  
  
"Buffy, you and your little friends need to just get out of our way   
and let The Initiative take care of this," Forrest said angrily.  
  
"Why don't you help us, instead of trying to shoot us?" Charlotte   
asked. "Where is he, anyway?"  
  
"Uh..." Forrest looked around. "It's all _her_ fault!" he yelled  
pointing at Buffy.  
  
"ME?!" Buffy returned. "What did _I_ do?"  
  
"You walked in with these two, and distracted us!" Forrest yelled.  
  
"Guys, you're missing the point," Graham reminded them. "Being the   
big, ugly, hybrid demon that we are technically responsible for," he   
said to Forrest.  
  
"OWWW!" Cordelia fell to her knees as another vision hit her.  
  
Doyle was by her side, the others having wandered out warily.   
"Cordelia, what is it?" he asked, helping her up.  
  
"It's--"  
  
"Look out!" Oz yelled then, and shot an arrow above them, where Adam   
was standing on balcony. Everyone scattered, as he jumped to  
the ground.  
  
"Keep him away from Giles and Willow," Charlotte hissed. "They're our  
only chance."  
  
Oz and Wesley were already ahead of her, standing in front of Giles   
and Willow, who were setting up the spell again. Adam, however,  
had his back to them, his interest at the moment being the two   
Slayers.  
  
"Help us or get out," Buffy said to Forrest.  
  
Graham cut off Forrest's angry retort, saying, "We're all here for the  
same reason. What's the deal?"  
  
"Keep him distracted," Charlotte whispered. "You'll see the rest when   
it happens."  
  
"Me first," Buffy said, she crouched down to retrieve a sword out of   
the bag of weapons that she'd retrieved from her house. "You ruined   
my weekend with my boyfriend!" she yelled at Adam. "Not to mention   
that you've been a complete pain for longer than I care to think   
about."  
  
"Come get me then," Adam taunted.  
  
"Buffy be careful," Angel warned.  
  
"I have no intention of letting this thing stop our happily ever   
after," Buffy smiled reassuringly at him. "Just stay back, all of   
you, unless I...or Charlie... need your help." She approached Adam   
slowly, remembering to stay out of the reach of the poker extension   
from his arm. Charlie stayed close by, having an axe in her right   
hand.  
  
"I'd rather kill you first anyway," Adam said to Buffy.  
  
"That's cool, cuz that's how I feel about you," she replied.  
  
Willow and Giles started chanting, and Adam heard them and   
said, "NOW!" At that moment, a gang of vampires attacked the rest of   
the group, entering from side door near Giles and Willow.   
  
One vamp jumped Charlie from behind, and they wrestled as she tried   
to avoid his fangs. Angel grabbed him by the neck and threw him off   
her, pulling a stake out of his pocket. Then he, Doyle, and Cordelia   
ran to help Wesley and Oz protect the two spell-casters.  
  
"Angel, stay clear of Adam," Cordelia warned.  
  
"What did you see, Cordelia?" Doyle asked, dusting a vampire who   
charged at him.  
  
"I..." she was distracted by Doyle's yell. He had been overpowered by   
a vampiress, infuriated that he had destroyed her mate. "Get off my   
man, bitch" Cordelia said, grabbing her by her long brown hair and   
pulling her away. The vampiress shrieked in anger, and clawed   
Cordelia's arm.   
  
"Hey!" Cordelia yelled, dropping her grip on the creature's hair.  
Cordelia punched her in the face, and then pulled a stake out of her  
jeans pocket, finishing her off.  
  
"Wow, remind me never to tick you off," Doyle chuckled as he walked up  
to her.  
  
"Um," Cordelia dodged his attempt to kiss her. "The spikes kind of   
make it difficult to kiss you," she reminded him.  
  
"Oh," Doyle reverted to his human face, and grinned at her sheepishly.  
"Sorry."  
  
"It's okay," she said, kissing him. "I'm getting used to it," she  
shrugged.  
  
Wesley beheaded the last vampire, and said, "That's the last of the  
vampires. The soldiers are keeping the rest of them outside."  
  
"Doyle!" Cordelia grabbed for him as she lost her balance again. She  
gasped, "I need...a...vacation," as she tried to catch her breath. She  
straightened, and said, "We have to get to the doors. There's   
something coming inside that we don't want to have to deal with."  
  
"But what about Giles and Willow?" Wesley asked, looking behind him at  
the two, who were oblivious to the events around them.  
  
Angel looked over to where Buffy and Charlotte had Adam occupied, and  
said, "I think if Cordelia says block the doors, we should block the  
doors. I don't see that Adam's an immediate threat to those two."  
  
"I suppose you're right," Wesley said. "Cordelia's visions have always  
been accurate in the past." They went to the back door, as the  
Initiative appeared to have the front door under control. Doyle and  
Wesley dragged a table against it, and Oz said, "Now what?"  
  
"Now we watch and wait," Angel replied. "I'm very sure we haven't seen  
the worst of this night yet."  
  
"That's the Angel I remember. Always so optimistic," Cordelia said  
sarcastically.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Colorado, 11 pm  
  
"Xander? You haven't said a word since we got in the car," Anya said.  
  
"Thought you were going to sleep," Xander replied.  
  
"I was, but I'm worried about you."  
  
"I'm fine, Anya. I'm just worried about Buffy and Willow. I feel like   
I should be there," Xander said. "If something happens to them, I'll   
never forgive myself."  
  
"Don't second-guess yourself, Xander. It's pointless. You did what you  
needed to do at the time. Sometimes you have to just take care of  
yourself," Anya said. "And Buffy and Willow will be fine."  
  
"How do you know that?" Xander asked.  
  
"Xander, Buffy has defeated one Master vampire and that mayor demon  
thing. She closed the hellmouth once already. Do you really think that  
one human-made demon can defeat her?" Anya returned.  
  
"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't seem like Adam has a  
chance," Xander said with a smile. "Get some sleep, though. I'll need  
you to drive in a few hours."  
  
Anya stifled a yawn, and said, "Okay," as she curled up next to   
him. "Do you mind?" she asked, half-asleep already.  
  
"Of course not," Xander said, putting his right arm around her. "Sweet  
dreams," he added, kissing the top of her head.  
  
*One of us should have them, anyway.*  
  
End of part 7  



	8. Chapter Eight

&&&&&&&&&  
The Bronze  
10 pm  
  
Buffy and Charlotte had been fighting Adam for an hour, and he wasn't  
even showing any signs of wearing down. Suddenly, he turned his back   
on the Slayers and went to where Giles and Willow were sitting. Angel   
was watching, and reached them before Adam did.   
  
He had an axe in his hand and threw it at Adam. It lodged in Adam's   
shoulder, and Adam lunged at Angel. Angel had been prepared,   
remembering Cordelia's warning. His dive to Adam's left as he threw   
the axe saved him from being stabbed through the heart by a few   
inches. Adam did manage to stab him, but the poker went into Angel's   
left shoulder, instead.  
  
Buffy charged Adam. He was prepared, and turned to block her sword  
thrust with his poker. Charlie ran up from his left side and swung her  
axe, but he sensed her approach and backhanded her. She went flying  
toward the front door.  
  
Charlotte fell against a vampire that was attacking Graham, and all  
three went tumbling to the ground. She leaped up and grabbed the   
vampire by the hair pulling him off Graham. Forrest shot him with a   
tranquilizer gun, and Charlotte dropped the unconscious vampire.  
  
"That would be one option," Charlotte shrugged, retrieving her axe   
from where she'd dropped it. "This would be a better one," she added   
as she decapitated the vampire. "That's the fun thing about vampires,   
no bodies to dispose of," she said as she walked away from the pile   
of ashes to assist her fellow Slayer.  
  
Buffy had moved to the opposite end of the floor, luring Adam further  
away from Willow and Giles. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that  
Forrest and the Initiative commandos were still managing to keep other  
demons from entering the Bronze from the front door. She looked behind  
Adam, and saw that Angel and the others were at the back of the   
Bronze, covering the back entrance. Doyle was seeing to Angel's   
wound, and she was relieved to see that he looked okay. Charlotte   
returned to her side, and Buffy said, "I'm still not done yet, if you   
don't mind?"  
  
Charlotte shrugged, and replied, "Go crazy." She moved away far enough  
to stay out of Buffy's way, but close enough to help quickly if Buffy  
needed her.  
  
"Why don't you fight like a real man, instead of cheating?" Buffy  
taunted. "Don't think you can take me? I'm just a girl, after all.   
What are you afraid of???"  
  
"Afraid?" Adam retorted. "That's funny. I could take you   
with....what's the phrase? One hand tied behind my back."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You couldn't defeat either me _or_ Charlie in hand-to-  
hand combat," Buffy said.  
  
"What, you mean without this?" Adam grabbed the poker with his other  
hand and ripped it out of his arm. Throwing it across the room, he   
said, "I don't need that to kill you."  
  
"Okay. First, I just have to say I've seen some gross things in my   
time as Slayer, but that was by far one of the grossest. Second,   
unlike some people, I don't cheat," and she threw her sword to the   
ground a few feet away.  
  
"Buffy!" Angel yelled. "What are you doing?!"  
  
"I'll be fine, Angel," she said. She didn't look at him, keeping her  
eyes on Adam. "Trust me." She ran at Adam, and kicked him in the  
stomach. He barely flinched, but instead grabbed her leg, twisting it.  
To avert a broken leg, she twisted her body with it. She landed on her  
stomach and rolled, quickly avoiding him as he bent down to grab her.   
She kicked down with her heel on the back of his knees and sent him  
sprawling on the floor.  
  
"Now this is more a fair fight," she said with a grin. She jumped to   
her feet and waited for him to get up. He did, and he was   
grinning. "What's so funny?" she said, looking around warily.  
  
"You are," Adam said haughtily. "You think you can defeat me. But you  
have no idea the power I have within my grasp." At that moment,   
Forrest, Graham and the other commandos collapsed, unconscious, as   
five men in black robes walked into the Bronze.  
  
"Like I said, Adam, cheating again," Buffy said, shaking her head in  
disgust.  
  
"To borrow another one of you people's phrases, 'all is fair in love   
and war'," Adam replied.  
  
"I really wish you'd stop with the cute little sayings. Because when   
you say them, they lose their cuteness forever," Buffy said. She   
turned, distracted as the men began to chant. "What  
the--"  
  
Buffy was interrupted as Willow screamed and grabbed her head,   
slumping to the floor in the fetal position.  
  
Oz ran to her as she continued to scream. "Stop them!" He yelled at  
Buffy, and pointed at the men.  
  
"You suck in every possible suckable way," Buffy yelled at Adam, and  
then turned to Charlotte. "Could you take over for a few? I have some  
warlocks to kill."  
  
"Sure," Charlotte replied. "Have fun."  
  
"Oh, I plan to," Buffy said grimly. She picked up her sword, and   
walked to the men. Doyle and Wesley joined her. She took the warlocks   
by surprise with her sudden attack as she swung her sword, beheading   
the one nearest her. The others turned on her, and she too fell to   
her knees, screaming and holding her head as Willow had.  
  
"Buffy!" Angel yelled, and ran to her, a panicked expression on his  
face. Wesley threw a chair at the Warlocks, succeeding in breaking   
their concentration. Angel picked Buffy up and he and Wesley met the   
others were standing. "What do we do?" Angel asked, as held the still-  
screaming Buffy in his arms. Oz and picked up Willow, she was still   
in obvious torment, as well.  
  
"We have to get out of here, is what we do," Doyle replied. "We'll all  
end up like these two if we don't. He's won this round. Let's just cut  
our losses before it's too late to try again."  
  
Charlotte heard them and said, "Get out, all of you! I'll be right  
behind."  
  
"But--" Doyle started to protest, and Charlie raised her hand to cut   
him off. "Don't argue, Doyle. Just go!"  
  
"Doyle, please!" Angel pleaded. Buffy's screams of pain were tearing   
him apart, and it showed in his face. Oz was as panicked as well due   
to Willow's state.   
  
Doyle took pity on them, and nodded. "Fine, but what do we do about   
the soldiers?"  
  
Cordelia had picked up Oz's crossbow, and sent the occasional arrow at  
the warlocks, keeping them from returning to their black magic. "You,  
me, Wes and Giles can get them out," she said. "Let's go now,  
before another one of us gets attacked by whatever spell those guys   
tried."  
  
"Giles?" Wesley turned to the Watcher. "Let's go!"  
  
Giles shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. "Sorry. I was  
trying to remember if there was a way to stop this," he said, waving  
toward Willow and Buffy. I can't think of it."  
  
"We'll find it," Wesley said. "I think we should go back to your place  
and barricade ourselves in for now," he added, as the group ran to the  
door.  
  
Cordelia shot another arrow as they reached the door, sending the  
warlocks retreating. She covered the exit as Giles, Doyle, and Wesley  
pulled the unconscious soldiers out of the building. "Charlotte!" she  
yelled. "Outside, now!"  
  
"Yes ma'am," Charlie grinned, and ran out the door, Cordelia close  
behind. "Hey, I have an idea," she said. She knelt down beside   
Forrest, and reached into his vest pocket. She turned to Cordelia,   
and said, "You didn't see me do this."  
  
Before Cordelia could react, Charlie pulled the pins out of the two  
grenades and threw them inside.  
  
They looked at her for a moment in shock, and then piled into the car.  
Giles drove away as The Bronze exploded.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
11:30 pm  
Giles' Apartment  
  
The gang reached Giles' apartment and got inside with minor slaying.   
Oz and Angel carried the two girls inside. They  
hadn't stopped screaming, and nobody could get them to respond.  
  
"Do something!" Angel yelled at Giles, as he held Buffy. "It's   
killing them, and it's killing me and I'm sure Oz, to watch it," he   
said, an anguished expression on his face. Willow was curled up on   
one end of the couch, and Angel held Buffy as he sat on a chair. Oz   
was sitting on the floor, stroking Willow's hair, trying to calm   
her. "What he said," Oz added.  
  
"Look, yelling won't help!" Giles yelled back, jumping up. "Wesley   
and I have to find the counter-spell. It will take time."  
  
Wesley started leafing through a book, and said, "I've located the   
spell that they used, thanks to Tara's black magic books that Willow   
took two months ago. Now all we have to do is ascertain how to   
reverse it."  
  
Doyle and Cordelia came into the room, having located all of the   
weapons Giles had in the house. They piled them on the table in front   
of the couch. "Well, at least we'll be ready for Adam when he comes   
back," Doyle said.  
  
"Not if I get him first," Charlotte said angrily and ran out before  
anyone could stop her.  
  
"Charlotte!" Doyle yelled, and ran to the door, but the girl had   
already disappeared down the street.  
  
"What did the Warlocks do to them?" Angel asked Giles, who was looking  
over Wesley's shoulder at the book.  
  
"I...you don't want to know that," Giles said, looking up at   
Angel. "It won't do anything to help them."  
  
"Tell me," Angel insisted. "Wesley, please," he begged the other man.  
  
"It's a curse," Wesley said, sighing. "Quite ancient, and rare, due to  
the extreme malicious intent. The main theme of the curse is that all  
the torments of hell are visited on the subject for as long as they  
live." He looked away, unable to withstand the expression on Angel's  
face.  
  
Angel looked down at Buffy. She was too far gone to see him. "As long   
as they live." He took a shaky breath and asked, "It will kill them?"  
  
  
"Buffy's got incredible strength, being the Slayer," Giles   
replied. "As for Willow, she has become quite a powerful wicca."  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Angel said. "I need to know."  
  
Neither of the men answered, looking at each other silently. "Hello?"   
Oz spoke then. "He asked a question, and it's one I want an answer to   
as well. Worst-case, Giles. What if we can't break the curse?"  
  
Giles removed his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief. "Worst  
case... According to the book, the curse has only been cast  
twice. One of the risks of the curse is that the person who speaks it  
will be cursed as well, if he or she is not powerful enough to protect  
themselves. That is why the curse is used so seldomly.   
  
"In the earlier cases, both victims were Slayers. I guess that the   
forces of darkness get a kick out of visiting the torments of hell on   
Slayers. One of the young women jumped in a river and drowned herself   
within hours. The other was placed in a sanitarium. Her Watcher had   
been killed, so she had nobody to protect her. She withstood the   
torment for a week, but she then slipped into unconsciousness. She   
died two weeks after the curse."   
  
He looked at Angel, and then Oz, sadly. "I assure you, I have no   
intention of letting either of those things happen to Buffy or  
Willow. We'll find the counter-spell, and we will save them."  
  
"But what will be left if you do?" Angel whispered.  
  
Cordelia shivered and retreated to the kitchen. Doyle followed   
her. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"The screaming is just getting to me. I can't even imagine--"  
  
"Hey," Doyle pulled her into his arms. "It's upsetting to all of us.   
You haven't had the best night either, though. How many visions?"  
  
She pulled back, and smiled up at him. "I lost count. I've still got a  
killer migraine, but I'll survive. I was luckier than they were."  
  
"Have you tried to call Xander?" he asked.  
  
"And tell him what?" Cordelia replied. "It would do nothing but upset  
him." She sighed, and continued, "I know, I should call him anyway.   
I'm just being a wimp."  
  
"Where's your cellphone?"  
  
"Out there in my purse," she pointed to the living room.  
  
"I'll get it," Doyle said, and went out to get it. He handed it to   
her, and said, "Sooner you get it over with, the sooner it's done."  
  
"Okay, here goes nothing," Cordelia shrugged.  
  
"Do you want some privacy?" Doyle asked.  
  
"No. I definitely need you here for moral support, if you don't mind,"  
Cordelia replied.  
  
"I never mind, Princess," Doyle said, and put his arm around her,  
offering all the support he could.  
  
Cordelia dialed the number, and waited.  
  
"Xander, it's me....Oh, you are? Well, that's a good thing." She   
winced, and said, "Yes, that's Willow you hear...Xander calm   
down....Xander, please pull over so I can talk to you.... I've had an   
awful day and listening to you get in a wreck won't make it better,   
that's why!....Okay, thank you....We're at Giles' apartment....  
Because a doctor won't help!.....Will you please please listen and I   
will _tell_ you what's wrong?!....  
  
"Short story, and I'll fill in the rest later if you want. Adam went   
on a rampage and started killing people. We ended up at the  
Bronze, and Giles and Willow were going to perform a paralyzing spell   
on Adam. Unfortunately, Adam had some warlock friends, and they did a   
curse on Willow to stop the spell. They also cursed Buffy, when she   
tried to stop them from hurting Willow.   
  
"We got out of there as fast as we could, and now we're at Giles'   
place. They're trying to figure out how to reverse the curse right   
now.....What kind of curse?....uh, I don't know?"   
  
She brushed away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks and   
said, "I can't, Xander, it won't do you any good to know, anyway.   
Just get back on the highway and get here as fast as you can....Be   
careful....What? No I will _not_ give her that message. Don't even   
talk like that, she'll still be here when you get back. So you can   
tell her yourself.....Bye."  
  
She ended the call, and said, "He's devastated, of course. He blames  
himself, even though that's ridiculous. Nobody could have stopped what  
happened tonight. I didn't even see it coming. What's the good of   
those stupid visions if they don't help you protect your friends?" she  
demanded and burst into tears.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
End of part 8  



	9. Chapter Nine

1:30 am  
Colorado  
  
"Xander?" Anya tried again. They were sitting in his car on the side   
of the highway, where he'd pulled over suddenly while he was on the   
phone, scaring her half to death. She'd only heard one side of the  
conversation, but gathered that Willow had been hurt in some way.   
Xander hadn't spoken for fifteen minutes, after ending the call.  
  
"Xander," she repeated and reached over, touching his arm. He jumped   
and pulled his arm away quickly. He turned to look at her, and his   
face softened as he said, "Sorry. Don't ask," he said.  
  
"Whatever you need," Anya replied. "You want me to drive?"  
  
He looked at her with relief, and asked, "Would you?"  
  
"Of course," she smiled comfortingly. She got out of the car and   
walked around to the driver's side, opening the door. "Xander?"  
  
He looked at her blankly.  
  
"Switch places," she said.  
  
"Oh. Okay," he replied and did as she requested. Anya looked over at   
him as she started the car, but he was too far away to hear her.   
Despite her reassuring talk to him, she had a feeling that something   
had gone very wrong. She hoped that they would get back to Sunnydale   
before it was too late.  
  
&&&&&&&&  
12 am  
Giles' Apartment  
  
Cordelia broke down, and Doyle held her, letting her cry. Five minutes  
later, she got a grip on herself and wiped the tears from her   
face. "All right, enough of that. Let's go back out there. Angel   
needs us," she said.  
  
They walked out as Charlotte returned from her recon mission. She   
said, "Well, I've got some good news, at least. When the grenades   
exploded they blew the warlocks and Adam to tiny pieces."  
  
"Are you sure about Adam?" Giles pressed.  
  
"Well, of course I'm not 100% sure," Charlotte admitted. "I found   
pieces of him, though, so I'd be surprised if he survived."  
  
"Well, I hope you're right," Giles replied. "That was fast thinking,  
using those grenades."  
  
"I wish it would have stopped this, though," Charlotte said forlornly,  
pointing to the two girls who were still screaming.  
  
"I'm surprised it didn't," Giles said. "But the warlocks were just  
powerful enough that killing them didn't negate the curse. If it makes  
you feel better, I don't think you made things worse. If nothing else,  
those Warlocks won't be hurting another person ever again. And if you  
stopped Adam's terrorizing of this town, we are in your debt. You're   
an excellent Slayer, Charlotte, I'm very impressed with your skill and  
strength, considering you were only called three months ago."  
  
Charlotte smiled, and said, "Thanks, Giles. That means a lot coming   
from you."  
  
"Why'd you stop looking?" Angel said, looking over at the two men. At  
their blank expressions, he explained, "I've been watching you two.  
You've had your heads stuck in books since we got here. But neither of  
you have even glanced at a book in the last fifteen minutes. Why?"  
  
"We've been through the books three times," Giles said quietly. "I  
don't know what else to try."  
  
"There's more black magic texts at the mansion," Angel said. "Stuff   
that Tara left there."  
  
"I'll go get them," Charlotte said. "Tell me where?"  
  
"As you walk in, there's a room off to the left. There are several   
books on the table," Angel replied.  
  
"Okay, I'll be back," she said and ran out the door.  
  
Buffy let out a scream, louder than her previous ones, making everyone  
jump. The silence which she followed it with though, was even more  
alarming. Her eyes, which had been open but unseeing were now closed.  
  
"Buffy?" Angel shook her gently. "Buffy!" he shook her a little more  
roughly. "NOOOOO!" he yelled.   
  
Doyle rushed over, and grabbed her wrist, checking her pulse. "She's   
still alive," he assured Angel. "But..."  
  
"What!" Angel yelled.  
  
"It's her pulse, man, it's really slowing down. I don't think she'll  
last much longer."  
  
"Don't die on me, Buffy Summers," Angel whispered, buring his face in  
her hair. "Please hold on," he pleaded as a single tear rolled down   
his cheek. The others tactfully retreated to the other side of the   
room, except for Oz who stayed with Willow.  
  
Angel kissed Buffy on the forehead, "Come on, Buffy. Baby, you're   
stronger than this," he said, stroking her hair lovingly. "You can't   
give up, you never have. What is this, our third, fourth, fifth   
chance? Whatever it is, it's the first time there's really nothing   
standing between us. You said that you wouldn't let Adam get in the   
way of our happy ever after, remember? Well, I'm sure that went for   
those warlocks, too. So prove it, Baby, stay with me."  
  
Buffy let out another terrified scream, and slumped back against  
Angel. "She's not breathing!" Angel yelled, as he laid her on the   
couch. He and Doyle started CPR, as Cordelia went to the phone to   
call an ambulance.  
  
  



	10. Chapter Ten

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
Sunday, 2 am  
  
Everyone was at the hospital, with the exception of Wesley, Oz and  
Willow who had stayed at Giles' apartment with Willow. They'd been at  
the hospital for over an hour, and nobody had given them any   
information about Buffy yet.  
  
Angel and Giles were pacing.  
  
Doyle and Charlotte were sitting in a corner looking through the magic  
books that Charlotte had retrieved from Angel's mansion.  
  
Cordelia was sitting with Joyce, trying to distract her from the  
situation.  
  
Finally, a doctor walked up to the group. "Who are family," the man   
asked.  
  
"I am," Joyce said, as she looked up at him with eyes red from crying.  
"Whatever it is, just say it," she told the doctor. "These people are  
more than Buffy's friends, they're her family too."  
  
"Okay," the man said. "I'm afraid it's not the best of news, though.   
It would help if I knew what caused this attack." He waited for   
anyone to offer information, but sighed as nobody did. *Damn   
Sunnydale, why is it that we always get the most bizarre cases?*  
  
"I see. You want me to believe none of you have a clue what caused...I  
don't even know exactly what this is," the doctor dmitted. "Basically,  
Buffy's heart stopped momentarily. But she shows no symptoms of   
having a heart attack. We got her heart going again, but then it   
stopped again. She's in bad shape, Mrs. Summers. I came out to ask   
you if you want your daughter placed on life support or not."  
  
"What?" Joyce asked, refusing to believe what she was hearing. "This  
can't be happening," she sobbed. "I don't...I don't know what to do,"  
she said.  
  
"Joyce, can I speak to you for a moment?" Giles asked.  
  
She nodded, and he led her down the hall a safe distance.  
  
"We're very close to finding a counter-spell to remove the curse," he  
said.  
  
"How close?" Joyce asked. "Hours? Weeks? Months? Is it worth waiting   
if she's suffering in the meantime?"  
  
"I hope to have a way to save Buffy and Willow by sunrise," Giles  
replied. "And as for what she's suffering, I'm afraid I can't answer  
that. I've read the details regarding the curse, but I'm sure they   
can't come close to explaining the reality. I won't try to tell you   
what to do. It's not my place. I can say that I will support whatever   
decision you make," he said.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Giles," Joyce responded. "And I know you'll do  
everything you can to help Buffy."  
  
She walked to where the doctor was waiting. "I'm sure my daughter   
wants to live. She's a fighter, not a quitter. If putting her on life   
support will give us the opportunity to help her come back, then do   
it."  
  
"Okay," the doctor replied. "I'll tell you when we have her   
stabilized." He walked back to the Emergency Room.  
  
Joyce collapsed onto her chair again, and said, "She's my only baby.   
She can't die." She dissolved into tears, as Cordelia tried to   
comfort her.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Giles' Apartment  
Sunday, 5 am  
  
"Wait, I think I have something," Wesley said. "A counter-spell, to  
break the effects of the curse. Giles looked through this book an hour  
ago, and I looked through it two hours ago, but it just now occurred   
to me that this is the spell."  
  
"Well, then, let's call Giles," Oz said. "From what I hear, Buffy   
needs it like yesterday." He walked to the phone, and as he was   
dialing, there was a knock on the door. "Who's there?" Wesley called.  
  
"It's Xander, Wes, no vamps," Xander answered. Wesley unlocked the   
door, and Xander immediately went to Willow, who was still   
screaming. "No luck?" he asked Wesley.  
  
"We think we found something," Wesley replied. "But it's more urgent   
to take care of Buffy first, she's in the hospital on life support."  
  
"Um, guys? There's a big ugly demon walking toward the apartment,"   
Anya said then. Wesley ran to the door and slammed it shut, and he   
and Oz pushed a bookshelf against it.  
  
"Someone take Willow upstairs," Wesley said. "Adam's going to get in  
sooner or later and it would be better if Willow wasn't in immediate  
danger."  
  
"Already way ahead of you," Oz said, as he was already halfway up the   
stairs.  
  
"Anya, why don't you go up and help keep an eye on her," Xander   
suggested.  
  
"I wanna help kill the demon," Anya whined.  
  
"Anya, please. You'll help us by watching out for her," Xander   
replied.  
  
"Fine," Anya sighed, and went upstairs after Oz.  
  
"What a welcome home," Xander muttered, as he and Wesley gathered up   
all the weapons they could find. "So is there any general plan here?   
Or is it to just try to hurt him and hope he says 'Ow'?"  
  
"I think the second one pretty much sums it up," Oz replied, coming  
downstairs.  
  
"He stopped pounding," Xander realized. "Why'd he stop pounding? Was  
that a good thing, or a bad thing?"  
  
Wesley went to the window and looked out, replying, "Angel and   
Charlotte are here. They've distracted him for the moment."  
  
"Oh good, I'm glad Angel's here," Xander said, followed by, "I did   
_not_ just say that."  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
Outside Giles' Apartment  
Sunday, 5:30 am  
  
Angel and Charlotte arrived at Giles' apartment, Anya having called  
Giles to tell him about the reappearance of Adam. They saw Adam   
pounding at the front door. "They must have barricaded themselves   
in," Angel said.  
  
"Smart move," Charlotte replied. "With Willow in the state she's in,  
they don't need to have to deal with her."  
  
Angel got out of the car and opened the trunk. "Weapons?" he offered,   
as she followed him.  
  
"Oh. That's an understatement. Always carry an arsenal with you?"  
Charlotte questioned. She looked behind Angel and said, "Never mind,  
duck!"  
  
Angel didn't ask, but did as she said. He dropped to the ground and  
rolled out of the way as Adam charged toward them. Charlie grabbed a  
knife and threw it at Adam, it lodged in his shoulder. "I wish you'd  
die, although I must say the crispy look works for you," she said,  
referring to his badly burned condition due to the explosion. She   
looked in the trunk to grab a sword, but then yelled, "Hey! Come back   
here!" as she saw Adam running back to Giles' front door. She and   
Angel ran after him as he punched a hole in the door, and forced his   
way inside.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
Inside Giles' Apartment  
  
Wesley jumped out of the way as the bookshelf went falling over. Adam  
kicked the door open and walked inside. "Wouldn't an arrow to the   
heart work?" Xander asked as he fired an arrow into Adam's chest.   
Adam looked down at it, pulled it out, and smiled at him. "Oh, guess   
that answers that question," Xander added as he jumped out of the way   
of the sword that Adam was wielding.  
  
Adam turned as Wesley ran up to him. Adam punched him in the face,  
sending him flying. Oz then ran at him with an axe, and Adam turned   
and swatted him away easily as well. He then turned on Xander again,   
who had gotten to his feet, grabbing a sword. "You're not going   
anywhere," Xander said. "Not after what you did to Buffy and Willow.   
You're dead, and I don't just mean in the sense that you're already   
well-used to."  
  
Adam laughed, and said, "You can't stop me. And as for the Slayer and  
the Witch, I don't have any interest in killing them. I'll let the   
curse do that for me."  
  
"NO!" Xander yelled and swung the sword, cutting Adam's arm clean off.  
"Oh, probably should've done the other one," he realized as Adam swung  
his sword at Xander. Xander blocked his attacks, once, twice, but then  
was distracted by the awful sound of a louder-than-before scream from  
Willow upstairs. In the split second that Xander looked toward the  
stairs, Adam swung his sword, knocking Xander's sword from his hand.  
"Oh," Xander said, looking back at Adam.  
  
Adam said, "Now, you can beg me for your life."  
  
"No," Xander said, calmly.  
  
"What?" Adam said, an expression of surprise on his face. "I'm going   
to kill you, you're supposed to beg for your life."  
  
"I've been there and done that," Xander said. "It didn't get me  
anywhere, except I learned that demons don't let their victims live   
even when they do beg. So go ahead and kill me, but I'm not going to   
give you the satisfaction of begging."  
  
Xander blinked as he saw a sword come into view, slicing Adam's head  
clean off. Adam's headless body fell to the floor, and revealed Angel  
standing behind him, sword in hand. Xander looked at Angel for a   
moment in silence and then walked past him and up the stairs.  
  
"Well that was rude," Charlotte remarked as she walked to where Oz   
was, and helped him up.  
  
"Dont," Angel cut her off. "You don't know what I did to him as   
Angelus. He doesn't owe me anything," he added quietly. He then knelt   
down to see to the unconscious Wesley.  
  
&&&&&&&&  
End of 10 


	11. Chapter Eleven

&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
Sunday, 6:30 am  
  
Angel arrived at the hospital and handed Giles a piece of   
paper. "What's this?" Giles asked.  
  
"The counter-spell," Angel replied. "Wesley's got the book, and he's  
doing the spell on Willow right now. He's convinced it's what we're  
looking for."  
  
"Well, then. Now, I just need to be able to get in to see Buffy..."  
Giles said.  
  
"Follow me," Angel said. "I'll get you in."  
  
"Angel?" Cordelia stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Okay, just   
making sure this isn't a return case of 'grr'. But I'm convinced so   
go ahead," she said with a smile.  
  
He rolled his eyes at her and went down the hall, with Giles close on  
his heels. A nurse tried to stop him as they reached the door to   
Buffy's room. "Sir, you can't--"  
  
"OOOWWW!" Cordelia yelled, clutching her head. The nurse ran to her,  
having forgotten about Angel and Giles. Angel saw Cordelia wink at   
him, and he smiled and pulled Giles into Buffy's room.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Giles' Apartment  
Sunday, 7 am  
  
"So how much longer do we have to wait to see if it worked?" Xander  
asked. Wesley had finished the spell, and Willow was silent, but not  
responsive. Oz was holding her, sitting on the couch.  
  
"It'll work," Oz said. "She's stopped screaming, I consider that a   
good sign."  
  
"Is he really dead?" Anya asked, indicating the headless body of Adam.  
"And where's his head?"  
  
"Charlie took it," Oz said. "Something about throwing it in the river   
to make sure he wouldn't be able to find it if he decided to get up."   
At Anya's panicked look, he added, "I'm pretty sure she was joking."  
  
"Whose head's in the river?" Willow mumbled as she slowly opened her  
eyes.  
  
"Hey, Willow, welcome back," Oz said, smiling.  
  
"I'm back," she agreed. She turned her head and saw Xander, and added,  
"I'm not the only one," with a grin.  
  
"Hey, Wills," Xander said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You okay?"  
  
"Been better," she frowned. "Not too bad for a Hellmouth adventure,  
though." She looked around and asked, "Where's Buffy?"  
  
"She's at the hospital, but Giles is taking care of her," Oz said.  
  
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"Adam had some Warlock friends, and I'm afraid you and Buffy were  
subject to a curse," Wesley replied. "How much do you remember?"  
  
"General excruciating pain," Willow replied. "Not something I care to   
talk about. I'm okay though, just really tired. Where's Adam?"  
  
"He's the one whose head's in the river," Xander answered with a grin.  
  
"Oh, how did that happen?" Willow asked.  
  
"Angel cut it off while saving Xander's life," Anya said.  
  
"Um, yeah," Xander said. "I'm going... outside."  
  
"He's handling that well," Willow said when Xander disappeared.  
  
"He'll be okay," Anya said. "He was ready to come home, Willow. He was  
really kicking himself that we weren't here sooner. You know Xander,   
he thinks if he'd been around he would have been able to stop you from  
getting cursed."  
  
"That's our Xander," Willow smiled. "Willow wants to get up now," she  
said, and Oz helped her stand. "I'm going to go outside and yell at   
him for leaving, and then see if he needs my best-friend skills."  
  
"Guys? I could use some help disposing of the body of the big bad  
demon," Charlotte said.  
  
"I can help, my van might come in handy. If that's all right with   
you?" Oz asked Willow.  
  
"Go ahead," Willow said. "Oh, Oz?"  
  
"Yeah, Baby?"  
  
"I knew you were there the whole time," Willow said, and kissed him  
impulsively, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thanks," she added,  
with a smile.  
  
"Where else would I have been?" Oz replied with a smile of his own.  
  
"Okay, we got that settled, so you go do...whatever it is you are   
going to do to the headless demon. Why don't you guys meet the rest   
of us at the hospital? I'd like to make sure Buffy's okay," Willow   
said.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Oz said. "Just don't overdo it, okay?"  
  
Willow gave him a skeptical look, "Let's see. Between Xander and Buffy  
and Giles--"  
  
"Never mind," Oz interrupted with a grin. "I get it, you'll be in good  
hands."  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Hospital  
Sunday, 7 am  
  
"I'm fine," Cordelia said to the nurse, who was hovering. "I am," she  
insisted, batting the nurse away. "I got something in my eye, okay?"   
She stifled a giggle as the nurse gave her a death look and returned   
to her station by Buffy's room.  
  
"Don't do that!" Doyle yelled at her then. "You scared the hell outta   
me!"  
  
"Sorry, what else are my acting abilities good for, if not annoying  
annoying people?" Cordelia said with a grin. "Come on, Doyle. You're  
not _really_ mad, are you?" she asked as she slid her arms around his  
neck and kissed him.  
  
"What was I mad about?" Doyle asked a minute later.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all," Cordelia replied, laying her head against   
his chest. "Can we go home when we know that Buffy's okay?" she asked.  
  
"Home?" Doyle asked. "Which home would that be?"  
  
She looked up at him, and said, "Insecure much?" she asked with a   
raised eyebrow. "You should know by now that I consider wherever you   
are as much home as my place in L.A. I love you, Alan Francis Doyle,   
even if I don't fall all over myself saying it twenty-four hours a   
day."  
  
"I know you do, Darlin'," Doyle replied with a smile. "I love you   
too. I just enjoy dragging it out of you occasionally...Ow!" he   
added, as she hit him playfully.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you big baby," she giggled, and kissed him again to shut  
him up.  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
  
"Are you sure about this?" the doctor asked Joyce for the tenth time.  
Giles had asked her to take Buffy off the life-support, not wanting  
anything to interfere with the counter-spell.  
  
"Just do it," Joyce said. "I know what I'm asking, if you take her off  
the life-support she'll wake up."  
  
Angel sat by Buffy's bedside, holding her hand. He didn't move as the  
doctor walked over to disconnect the life-support machine. He heard  
Joyce usher the doctor back out and Giles begin the spell, but what he  
couldn't block out of his head was the sound of the long beep from the  
heart monitor indicating that Buffy's heart had stopped.  
  
&&&&&&  
End of part 11  



	12. Chapter Twelve

&&&&&&&&&&  
Giles' House  
Sunday, 7:30 am  
  
Willow walked outside to find Xander after Charlotte and Oz had left.   
He was sitting on the doorstep. "Hey, now it really makes a whole lot   
of sense for you to be sitting out here by yourself your first day   
back in Sunnydale in over two months," Willow said, nudging his leg   
with her foot.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Xander said, watching Charlotte and Oz drag Adam to Oz'  
van. "I guess I just needed a little time to process that Adam would  
have killed me if Angel hadn't been there."  
  
"Oh, so...how's that going?" Willow asked, sitting next to him.  
  
"I'm not going to bolt again, if that's what you're asking," Xander  
replied. "I get it, Willow. I'm dense, but I finally caught up with   
the rest of you." At her puzzled look, he continued, "Angel saved my   
life. Angelus never would have done that. Two different people, well,   
not people, but you get my point. I think that's what Buffy and you   
have been trying to tell me for a few years now?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that," Willow said. "So does that mean the   
Scooby Gang is back?"  
  
"I missed you, Wills. And Buffy," Xander replied, putting his arm   
around her shoulders. "We've got a ways to go to get back to where we   
were, but I'm willing to give it a try."  
  
"I'm almost afraid to ask," Willow said, "but does that mean you can  
tolerate Angel?"  
  
"Yeah," Xander answered. "I think so. I'm not saying we're ever going   
to be best buds or anything, but I can deal."  
  
"Can I come out, or are you two still bonding?" Anya asked   
sarcastically as she walked outside.  
  
Willow giggled, and said, "Of course you can come out, Anya. You're  
Xander's girlfriend, after all."  
  
"Just making sure," Anya said, but smiled as Xander stood up and   
wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"So, can we go see Buffy, now?" Willow asked, as they went back   
inside.  
  
"You drive," Anya and Xander said to each other simultaneously,   
causing Willow to laugh. "I'll drive," Wesley offered, and received   
no argument from anyone.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
Sunday, 7:30 am  
  
Angel sat staring at Buffy's face, begging her to wake up, silently  
praying for her heart to start beating again. Giles finished the spell  
and looked up at him. "Come on, Buffy," Angel said, "Don't leave me,   
not now. Come back, Baby."  
  
There was no reaction. Angel took a shaky breath as he felt the tears   
streaming down his face. "Damn it, Buffy Summers! Don't leave me! Not   
when we can finally be together! I love you, please, I can't live   
without you!" He sobbed as he pulled her to his chest and held her   
tightly.   
  
Beep  
  
"Buffy?" He looked down at her face.   
  
Beep. Beep. Beep.  
  
"Oh god, she's alive," Angel said, looking at Giles, knowing Giles'   
expression of relief probably mirrored his.  
  
"She's a fighter," Giles said. "I never doubted for a second."  
  
"Sure you didn't," Angel chuckled. He looked over and saw Buffy's eyes  
open.   
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm here. It's okay. You're okay now," he said, kissing her on  
the forehead. "Thank God you woke up," he said.   
  
Giles went to get the doctor.  
  
"Miss Summers," the doctor said, walking in with Buffy's mom close  
behind. "You scared quite a few people last night and this morning. I  
must say I'm amazed you're awake and breathing on your own. How are   
you feeling?"  
  
"Like I was hit by a truck," Buffy said wryly. "But otherwise great."  
  
"Well, your vital signs are amazingly stable," the doctor replied. "I  
think we want to keep you here for a couple days to monitor you, and   
do some tests though. Mrs. Summers? Could I talk to you?" and he   
pulled Joyce out of the room again.  
  
Angel shut the door behind them and sat down next to her again,   
putting his arms around her. He felt her trembling and wished he   
could take away her pain. "It's okay, Buffy, it's all over."  
  
"Over? It's not over," Buffy said bitterly. "It's never over. There's  
always another danger, just one more demon for Buffy the Vampire   
Slayer to kill. That's my responsibility, and I've gotten used to it.   
But it's not Willow's responsibility, or Xander's. Still, they're   
always getting hurt. Maybe Xander had the right idea, leaving this   
town and me far behind."  
  
"What happened to Xander is not your fault," Angel insisted. "It's  
mine--"  
  
"No, it's not, Angel. And it's not even Angelus' fault," Buffy said,  
closing her eyes tiredly. "It's mine." She put a finger against his   
lips to stop his protest. "I've always expected Willow, Xander and   
Giles to be there with me every time something happens. No matter   
what the danger. But it's not their fight. They aren't the Chosen, I   
am. I shouldn't be putting them in constant danger. Maybe for a while   
it was kind of Giles' duty, being my Watcher. But I should've kept   
him out of it when the Council removed him as my Watcher. All of this   
could have been stopped, and nobody is responsible for what has   
happened to Willow and Xander these past few months except me."  
  
"Buffy, you can't take all the blame," Angel said as he pulled away   
to look into her eyes. "They live on the Hellmouth, and that alone   
puts their lives in danger every day. And as for you expecting them   
to help you, they would help whether you asked or not. They're your   
friends, and they love you. Do you really think you could stop them,   
even if you tried?"  
  
"I don't know," Buffy said. "I'm just tired, Angel. Tired of seeing   
the pain, tired of watching people die."  
  
"I know you are, Sweetheart," Angel pulled her closer. "I wish I   
could make it all go away. All I've ever wanted for you is to have a   
normal life."  
  
"Normal," Buffy said. "I don't know what normal is anymore. It doesn't  
belong in the Slayer vocabulary."  
  
"Try to sleep," Angel said as he sat on the bed, with her in his   
arms. "You've been through a lot." Buffy settled against his chest,   
and wrapped her arms around him tightly. After a few minutes, she   
settled into a uneasy sleep.  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Paris  
5 pm, Sunday evening  
  
Drusilla woke as the sun was going down, and looked up into the   
watchful eyes of Spike. "Where's Miss Edith?" she asked, looking   
around.  
  
Spike sighed, and got out of bed. He walked into the living room, and  
retrieved the doll from the floor where Drusilla had dropped her that  
morning. When he returned to the bedroom, Drusilla was standing in   
front of her dresser.  
  
She had opened her jewelry box, which was full of jewelry. Some was  
fake, some was worth more than she would ever know. She had collected  
some of it, but Spike had provided her with most of it over her one  
hundred years as a vampire. She smiled, obviously happy with what she  
found and sat down on the floor with the box.  
  
Spike looked at the doll in his hand, and decided to leave Drusilla to  
her current amusement. He laid Miss Edith on the bed, where Drusilla  
would be sure to find her if she wanted her. Knowing that Drusilla   
could spend hours playing with her jewelry, he felt safe in taking a   
quick shower.  
  
Five minutes later, he exited the bathroom, and saw that Drusilla was  
still playing contentedly. "You hungry, Pet?" he asked.  
  
"No," Drusilla frowned at him. "It's yucky."  
  
Another one of her quirks when she was not quite there. She had an  
aversion to blood, and sometimes wouldn't eat for a week at a time.  
"Drusilla, Luv, you'll get weak if you don't eat," Spike urged.  
  
"No," she said firmly. "No, no, no."  
  
"Fine," Spike backed down, not wanting to upset her. He changed the  
subject then, "Do you remember what you told me before?"  
  
She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face.  
  
He sat down in front of her. "About what I was looking for? You said  
they took it. Do you know where they took it, Drusilla?"  
  
"Oh," she returned her attention to her jewelry box. "Yes, I know,"   
she said with a shrug.  
  
Spike waited, hoping she would offer more information. After a minute,  
he realized she wasn't going to. "Drusilla, would you tell me?"  
  
She looked at him, as if considering the question. "No," she finally  
replied, and stood up. She saw Miss Edith and squealed with delight.  
"There you are!" she exclaimed, settling on the bed. Reaching over for  
her hair brush, she began to brush the doll's hair.  
  
Spike put his head in his hands, slightly annoyed at Drusilla's timing  
in her latest spell. *Patience, Spike. She's probably your only hope,  
and if you upset her, you'll never find the bloody thing.   
Unfortunately you're at the mercy of an insane vampire, but her   
insanity is either caused by or due to the fact that she gets   
information from...who? Definitely not the Powers that Be. Maybe   
there's an evil version of the Powers that Be.* That thought struck   
him as incredibly funny, and he chuckled. *Wonder what Giles would   
think of that possibility?*  
  
"If I tell you, you'll leave me. You won't need me around, you'll be  
powerful," Drusilla pouted.  
  
"Do you remember what I told you all those years ago when I took you  
away from Angelus?" Spike asked.  
  
"You said you'd protect me," Drusilla answered slowly.  
  
"Well then, what do I have to do to convince you that I'm not going  
anywhere without you, Pet?" Spike asked. "I've never broken a promise   
to you, have I?" She shook her head no, and he continued, "Then, I   
promise you, Drusilla, that if you tell me where the ring is, I won't   
leave you."  
  
She regarded him for a full minute, and said, "Cross your heart and   
hope to die?"  
  
Spike chuckled, but refrained from pointing out that it was redundant   
to hope for something that had been true for a century. He went to   
sit next to her on the bed, and replied, "Yeah, Pet. Whatever you   
want."  
  
She smiled, and said, "It's in the Council Headquarters."  
  
End part 12 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
8 am  
  
Buffy woke suddenly, and said, "Adam. We have to--"  
  
"No, he's gone," Angel said. He was sitting on the chair next to her   
bed again. He reached over to stroking the side of her   
face. "Charlotte thought that blowing up the Bronze while he was in   
it would do it, but it didn't. She and I went to Giles' when he   
showed back up there. Wesley, Oz, and Xander were fighting him when   
Charlotte and I showed up. I beheaded Adam, and we're pretty sure   
he's dead now."  
  
"Xander was there?" Buffy asked. "Was that..."  
  
"Awkward?" Angel supplied. "Slightly. He handled it, and I left as  
quickly as I could," he shrugged.  
  
"Sounds fun," Buffy said with a sigh.  
  
"I think Xander will be okay once I've left for L.A. again," Angel  
replied. "Which I'll do once I know you're really okay."  
  
"I don't want you to go, Angel. But I don't want Xander to leave town,  
either--"  
  
"Nobody has to leave town," Xander said as he walked into the   
room. "How are you feeling, Buffy?"  
  
"Tired, but okay," Buffy replied. "Better if I get a hug?"  
  
"That I can do," Xander said with a smile as he walked over to Buffy's  
bedside. Angel had moved toward the door, and Xander said, "You don't  
have to go, Angel." He turned back to Buffy, and hugged her, then   
said, "I bet he didn't tell you, did he?"  
  
"Tell me what?" Buffy said, bewildered.  
  
"Typical of my luck in fighting demons, Adam got the better of me  
earlier this morning," Xander said. "Angel...Angel saved my life." He  
turned to Angel, missing Buffy's mouth dropping open in shock, and   
said, "Thank you."  
  
"You don't have to--"  
  
"Angel." Buffy cut off Angel's protest. "Just say you're."  
  
Angel managed, "You're welcome."  
  
Xander nodded, and smiled at Buffy. "I think my work here is done   
then. There's a long line of people who want to see you, but the   
nurse won't let more than a couple in at a time. So I'll get out of   
here. I'm glad you're okay, Buffy. I missed you."  
  
"I missed you too, Xander. I'm glad you're back," Buffy replied,   
hugging him again.  
  
"I'll see you later," Xander said, standing up. He looked at Angel,   
and frowned, saying, "Huh. I just realized something." He turned back   
to Buffy, "I can't call him Dead-Boy anymore. A perfectly good   
nickname gone to waste," he sighed, but winked at Buffy as he walked   
out of the door.  
  
"Did hell freeze over and I missed it?" Angel said in bewilderment.  
  
Buffy giggled, and held out her arms to him. He gladly obliged,   
sitting next to her and holding her. "Maybe," Buffy shrugged. "After   
all, this is the Hellmouth. Home of weird goings-on, twenty-four   
hours a day, seven days a week."  
  
  
&&&&&&&&  
Paris  
6 pm  
  
"It's not with the body of that Watcher Peter? That's what the book   
that I found said," Spike said to Drusilla.  
  
"The book's right. But the Watcher's Council moved him, which is silly  
because he's been dead for fifteen hundred years, so he's not really   
there now. But the dust and the ring were put into a brand new   
coffin. They moved it to their place in England, and buried it under   
the building," she said.   
  
"What do you mean, under the building?"  
  
"They made a mess, and ripped up the floor. Then they dug a hole and  
dropped the coffin in. Then they covered up the hole with cement. It's  
under the building," she shrugged.  
  
"Good girl," Spike said, and kissed her on the tip of her nose.   
  
She giggled and asked, "Can I use it too?"  
  
"Yes, Pet. In fact, once Spike kills that annoying Slayer, you can   
have it for good," Spike replied. "I like the dark. Are you up for a   
little trip?"  
  
"I don't like England," she pouted. "It's not fun like here."  
  
"It's just for a little while," Spike said patiently. "You can stay   
here if you want, but you know I'll have to get somebody to keep you   
company while I'm gone."  
  
"I don't want anyone here," Drusilla said. "Nobody else is nice to   
Miss Edith like you are. The last vampire you hired to protect me   
threw her in the fireplace."  
  
"I know Dru," Spike said. "But I threw _him_ in the fireplace when I   
got back, remember?"  
  
She giggled at the memory. "He screamed so loud. It was such a nice  
sound."  
  
"This time will be different, Drusilla. If you stay, nothing will   
happen to you _or_ Miss Edith." He was interrupted by a knock on the   
door. "Stay here, I'll be right back."  
  
She didn't reply but showed no interest in going anywhere, so he went   
to answer the door. He opened it to a group of twenty vampires, led   
by one of his childer, a female. "You wanted us, Sire?" she said as   
she breezed past him. She was as tall as him, slender, with long   
blond hair, fair skin and blue eyes.  
  
"You always were too bloody self-assured for your own good, Brianna,"  
Spike said, as he stepped back to let the rest of the group in. There  
were two more vampiresses in the group, both brunettes. The remainder   
of the group were males, all burly with dark hair and dark eyes.  
  
"Well, you were never a very respect-inspiring Sire," she replied, a  
bored expression on her face. "You left messages all over town this   
past week that you required my assistance, so here I am. So what did   
you want?" She walked over to the couch, and lounged on it.  
  
"First of all, which one of these morons would you trust with your  
life?" Spike asked.  
  
"Louis over there," she waved to one of the males standing at the   
door. "He'll do whatever I say, won't you Louis?"  
  
"Huh?" the vampire replied, looking at her with a confused expression.  
  
"You're kidding, right?" Spike looked at Brianna like she'd sprouted  
wings.  
  
"He's dumb, but loyal. And he does whatever I tell him. So what do you  
need him for?" Brianna asked.  
  
"You and I and the rest of your childer are going on a trip for a day   
or so," Spike replied. "I've determined the location of something   
that I'm looking for. It's a dangerous job, I don't expect that all   
of you will get out undead. But you will be paid whatever you want. I   
need someone to stay behind and watch out for Drusilla, though, while   
the rest of us are gone."  
  
"She's still around???" Brianna questioned. "Why is it you didn't dust  
her years ago, Spike? She can't be _that_ good in bed--"  
  
Spike growled and grabbed Brianna by her hair, and threw her on the  
floor. "You keep your opinions to yourself!" he yelled. "I made you   
and I can un-make you, don't forget that," he warned, standing over   
her. One of the other vampires ran to Brianna's assistance, but   
didn't know what hit him. Spike turned and grabbed the vamp, snapping   
his neck effortlessly. He heard a growl from behind him and pulled   
Brianna to her feet, holding her between another vampire and himself.   
Pulling a knife out of his jeans pocket, he held the three-inch blade   
at Brianna's neck.  
  
"Back off, you bloody wanker," Spike ordered. "I'll cut her head off,  
and it will probably take a while. But it won't make a difference to   
me. Tell him, Bri. How many do you think I've killed?"  
  
"Before or after you were turned?" she asked.  
  
"Both," Spike shrugged.  
  
"Hundreds, thousands, how the hell should I know," Brianna shrugged.  
"Back off, Joseph," she commanded, and the other vampire obeyed.   
Spike made no move to release her, and she said, "I'm sorry, Sire. I   
shouldn't have insulted Drusilla," between gritted teeth.  
  
Spike dropped her then, and stepped back. "So, do you want the job or  
not?" he asked.  
  
"Why not, I'm bored," Brianna answered, getting to her feet. "Louis   
can stay with Drusilla, he won't hurt her. I give you my word."  
  
"I don't care about your word," Spike replied. "I just want you to  
understand that if _anything_, and I do mean anything, happens to   
Dru, I will hold you responsible. I'll kill you, but not before I've   
made you beg for death. Understood?"  
  
"Understood," she said. "Now where are the rest of us going?"  
  
"England. Watcher's Council Headquarters," he answered.  
  
"What????!" Brianna shrieked. "Have you lost your bloody mind?!"  
  
&&&&&&&  
end Thirteen  



	14. Chapter Fourteen

Sunnydale Hospital  
Sunday  
9:30 am  
  
Giles and Willow walked into Buffy's hospital room after Xander had  
left. "Hey, Buffy. How are you feeling?" Willow asked.  
  
"Probably similar to you," Buffy answered. "Except you turned out to   
be much stronger than me. It must be the witch in you."  
  
"I don't know about that," Willow shrugged. "You did get pretty run   
down before the curse."  
  
"And Giles," Buffy said. "You managed to save my life again, thanks  
doesn't seem quite enough."  
  
"Well, I don't know if I'm the one you should be thanking," Giles  
replied. "Wesley found the spell, after all. I just performed it."  
  
"You're too modest, Giles. I know you, and I know you probably haven't  
slept in over 24 hours, have you? None of you have, and I owe all of   
you my life.... But enough sappy stuff. I just had a thought. Are   
Forrest and Graham and the others okay?" she asked.  
  
"We pulled them out of the building before it blew up," Giles replied.  
"The warlocks had knocked them out, but they woke up when the building  
blew. They were fine. They're taking care of the rest of the demon  
activity around town now, I imagine."  
  
"Good, I'm glad they're okay," Buffy said. "I know the Initiative has  
caused a lot of problems, but they mean well. It wasn't their fault  
Professor Walsh was playing Dr. Frankenstein. Wait a second. I'm a  
little slow on the uptake this morning, but .... Charlotte blew up the  
Bronze????"  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
Charlotte and Oz returned to the Hospital as Willow and Giles were  
exiting Buffy's room. "She wants to talk to you," Willow said to  
Charlotte, with a smile. "I should warn you, Buffy _really_ liked the  
Bronze."  
  
"Oh," Charlie giggled. "Oops!" The entire group dissolved into  
much-needed laughter, including Joyce, who Cordelia had filled in on   
the events of the evening.  
  
"You want to join me?" Charlie asked Joyce. "That is if you don't mind  
if your daughter and I talk a little Slayer business."  
  
"I would be thrilled just to be able to make sure she's okay," Joyce  
said, gratefully.  
  
Willow asked Oz, "So have fun getting rid of the big, bad demon?"  
  
"Fun, I dunno," Oz shrugged. "It was an.... um... stress-reliever?" At  
Willow's questioning look, he elaborated. "Charlotte wanted to make   
sure that he wasn't going to come back. So we chopped him up into   
pieces, and buried the pieces all over town."  
  
"Okay, so not a mental image I needed," Cordelia commented, wrinkling  
her nose in disgust.  
  
"Well, er, it was... thorough," Giles offered helpfully.  
  
"It was a good way to work out my anger at what he did to you," Oz   
said to Willow. "Although I think I need a shower, and my van needs a   
good washing."  
  
"Well, if you're ready to go, drive me home?" Willow asked, as she  
stifled a yawn. "I think I need some sleep."  
  
"Sure, I can do that," Oz said, and the two walked out hand in hand.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
"So?" Cordelia walked over to where Xander was standing, watching the  
rest of the group. "You okay?"  
  
"Fine, Cordy," Xander said. At her raised eyebrow, he   
smiled, "Really, I promise. You haven't heard what happened?"  
  
"At Giles'?" Cordelia replied. "Not really. I heard that Angel killed  
Adam, and that you and Anya were there, but not much else. You haven't  
thrown Angel any die looks, so I'm curious as to what happened."  
  
"Well, Anya and I showed up at Giles' house right before Adam did. We  
kept him out for a little while, and Anya took Willow upstairs. Adam  
broke down the door, and went through Oz and Wesley, leaving them both  
dazed or unconscious. I was ready for him, or so I thought. But in   
true Xander-fashion, I got my ass kicked by the big, bad, demon. I   
was pretty much contemplating whether it would be fun to be dead,   
when Angel and Charlotte showed up. Angel killed Adam just as Adam   
was about to kill me. Now I really hope you grasp the irony of that   
fact."  
  
"Wow," Cordelia said. She was silent for a moment, and then said,  
"So...and I really sound like a broken record here, but are you okay  
with it?"  
  
"Surprisingly, I think so," Xander replied. "I get that there's a  
difference between the demon who tortured me and the person who saved   
my life. I can deal with him being around."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that, Xander," Cordelia said. "The gang wasn't the  
same without you. Now maybe things can calm down for a little while."  
  
Xander replied with a disbelieving lookk, and she said, "Okay, so   
maybe not, but a girl can hope, can't she?"  
  
"What are you hoping for, Princess?" Doyle said, walking up.  
  
"A non-psycho town," Cordelia replied. "Xander, this is Doyle."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Xander said shaking Doyle's hand. "I'd introduce   
you to Anya, but she passed out," he pointed to a nearby chair where   
Anya had curled up and fallen asleep. "And I think she has the right   
idea, so I'm probably going to take her home." He walked over to   
where Anya was sitting and woke her up gently. She glared at him but   
let him lead her back out to their car.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
  
10:30 am  
  
"Sleep sounds good," Cordelia said, leaning back against Doyle's chest  
as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Charlie, you ready to go?" Doyle asked Charlotte, who had walked back  
out of Buffy's room with Angel earlier and was standing talking to   
Giles and Wesley.  
  
"I'm not sure if Buffy has anything else she wanted to talk to me  
about--" Charlotte started to reply.  
  
"Charlotte!" they heard Buffy call.  
  
"Guess so, I'll be back soon," Charlotte said. "If you guys wanna go  
ahead, I can walk myself home," she suggested as she re-entered the  
hospital room.  
  
"I'll take you home as soon as Charlotte's done talking to Buffy,"   
Doyle said to Cordy, as Charlotte returned to Buffy's room again.  
  
&&&&&&&  
10 minutes earlier....  
  
"Mom, I'm fine," Buffy said irritably, batting away her mother's   
fussing hands. She'd fixed Buffy's pillow five times, and had asked   
fifty times if she could get her anything. "Seriously, unwig already   
please."  
  
"Buffy, you almost--forget almost. You died, more than once last   
night. I apologize if my having trouble with that fact is annoying   
you," Joyce replied angrily.  
  
Buffy sighed, and said, "Charlotte, Angel, would you give me and my   
mom a minute, please?"  
  
"Sure Buffy," Angel replied and he and Charlotte left the room to give  
the two Summers women some privacy.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said. "Go ahead, spill. Yell, scream, whatever."  
  
"I'm not going to yell, Buffy," Joyce replied. "I just can't get used   
to this, no matter how many times I see you in this hospital.   
Watching you lying there last night, hooked up to those machines, it   
was my worst nightmare. Even worse than telling the doctor to take   
you off life support. Having to wonder if I was doing the wrong   
thing, if you'd be gone forever."  
  
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but I can't do anything to  
change it. And I can't promise you that it won't happen again. And I  
can't let you pretend that you can protect me, because you can't.   
Don't backtrack again, don't make us have the same arguments every   
time I get hurt. I'm too tired to run through those old arguments."  
  
"Buffy, it would help if you'd talk to me," Joyce said. "It's not   
right to just brush it off and say, 'oh well, slayer's life'. Keeping   
it all bottled up, it can't be healthy. If we could talk about what   
happened, I wouldn't feel so helpless. At least I could listen, that   
would make me feel useful."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Buffy said. "I don't do that. I kill  
the demon, I stop the evil. If I get hurt in the process, I can't   
dwell on it. If I did that, analyzed every awful thing that happened,   
I would go insane. The things that happen to a Slayer, they're just   
beyond getting your brain around.   
  
"What would you want to know, anyway? What it feels like to get on   
the wrong side of a warlock's curse? The feeling of being ripped   
apart, piece by piece, over and over again until you want to die?  
Hearing every screaming voice in hell in your head, refusing to go   
away? Feeling every part of you that's sane slipping away and   
fighting like hell to keep them from getting that too?   
  
"WHAT!? WHAT is it that you want to know!" Buffy exploded finally,   
and threw a nearby vase of across the room, shattering it. She was   
crying now, tears of anger and grief. Joyce reached for her, but   
Buffy pushed her away. "NO! she yelled. "I just want to move on, and   
this isn't the way."  
  
Joyce sighed, and said, "Fine. If you won't let me help, maybe you'll  
let someone else, Buffy. Just don't ignore it. If you do, it will all   
catch up with you when you don't need it to."   
  
Joyce went out to the hall. Angel was standing right outside, and she   
could see the concern on his face. "She's really hurting right now. I   
know I haven't been the most supportive of you two in the past, but I   
never doubted that you love her. Don't let her push it all aside and   
pretend like there's nothing wrong. It wouldn't be good for her."  
  
"I'll do everything I can to help her, Joyce," Angel replied. "But   
she's stubborn. Nobody can make Buffy do something she doesn't want   
to do," he added with a smile.  
  
"I know, she got it from her father," Joyce rolled her eyes and walked  
over to a nearby chair.  
  
Angel chuckled, and thought *Somehow I think you two are more alike   
than either of you would ever admit.*  
  
&&&&&&&&  
End Fourteen  



	15. Chapter Fifteen

&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
Sunday morning,  
10:30 am  
  
Charlotte entered Buffy's room again, saying, "Hey, Buffy. You  
hollered?"  
  
"You blew up my Bronze," Buffy said sternly, but her eyes were dancing  
with laughter.  
  
Charlotte replied, "Yes. Yes I did." She tried to keep a straight   
face, but she didn't last long. A giggle escaped, and she soon gave   
up as Buffy joined her in laughing.  
  
"Seriously, though, I can't believe it's a pile of rubble. And it   
didn't even kill Adam. That really, really sucks," Buffy said.  
  
"Maybe they'll rebuild?" Charlotte suggested.  
  
"I hope so. It's really the only cool place in this town. Anyway,   
what I wanted to know is if Adam is truly dead. I don't want him   
reappearing," Buffy said.  
  
"He won't. I threw his head in the river, and then Oz and I had quite   
a lot of fun chopping his body into little pieces. We spread those   
pieces all over town, so unless someone has a whole lot of time and   
superglue, he's so gone," Charlotte said with a grin.  
  
"Good," Buffy said, more seriously. "I'm so relieved to know he's   
dead."  
  
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Buffy," Charlotte said. "I thought  
everything was going so well--"  
  
"That's usually a clue that there's something bad about to happen,"  
Buffy replied. "At least in Sunnydale, anyway. So what are you going   
to do now? You've done what the Watcher's Council sent you here to do.  
What's next for you and Doyle?"  
  
"Trying to get rid of me?" Charlotte teased.  
  
"No!" Buffy said. "I could get used to having you around, Charlie. We  
work well together, and it's nice to know that the other Slayer   
_isn't_ trying to help the forces of evil, or kill you or your   
boyfriend."  
  
Charlie laughed in response, and said, "Thanks, Buffy. I like being  
here, even if it is the strangest town I have ever been in. To answer  
your question, though, I don't know what's next for me. I'm sure in   
the next few days that Doyle will get in contact with the Watchers'   
Council. So you'll know as soon as I do, okay?" Charlotte went for   
the door, knowing Buffy had many other friends she needed to talk to.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said. "And Charlie?"  
  
"Yeah?" Charlie turned back at the door.  
  
"Thanks," Buffy said. "For taking care of Adam, and for taking care of  
the gang while I was out of it."  
  
Charlie smiled, "No problem, it was definitely a challenge."  
  
&&&&&&&&  
Paris 7:30 pm  
  
Drusilla exited the bedroom to find Spike and the others discussing   
the best means of entry into the Watchers' Council Heaquarters. Spike  
looked up to see her standing in the doorway watching them. "It's   
okay, Pet," he said reassuringly, going to her and putting an arm   
around her waist. "They're going to help us. Have you decided if   
you're coming with us?"  
  
"I don't like England," she said. "It's too wet."  
  
"All right, then. See that boy over there?" he pointed to   
Louis. "That's Louis. He's going to keep you safe until I return."  
  
"No," Drusilla said, a distressed look on her face.  
  
"He won't hurt you or Miss Edith," Spike replied calmly. "In fact he  
won't even go near either of you. Will you, Louis?"  
  
Louis looked to Brianna questioningly, and she said, "Louis, that's  
Drusilla. You're going to protect her, but you aren't allowed to touch  
her, do you understand me?" she walked over to him and looked into his  
eyes.  
  
"Protect," Louis said, nodding. "Don't touch."  
  
"He gets it," Brianna told Spike.  
  
"Dru?" Spike looked at her.  
  
"You'll come back?"  
  
"I promise," Spike replied. "You stay inside while I'm gone, and Louis  
will bring you food."  
  
She nodded, and got up, returning to the bedroom. Spike followed her,  
and closed the door behind him. "Hey, where's my goodbye kiss," he  
teased. She giggled and threw herself at him, kissing him   
passionately.  
  
"That good enough?" she asked, smiling.  
  
"Uh...yeah," Spike said, "So good I can't remember why I was going."  
  
"You're going to get the ring so you can kill the Slayer," Drusilla  
reminded him.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I'll be back soon," he said, and went back to the living  
room. "Let's go," he said to Brianna and the others.  
  
"I still think you've gone over the deep end," Brianna muttered, as   
she followed him out the door, her childer close behind. "When are   
you going to tell us what's so important at the Watcher's Council?"  
  
"You don't need to know that," Spike said. "You just do your job, and  
you'll get paid."  
  
&&&&&&  
Sunnydale  
4 pm  
  
The doctor had finally convinced everyone to let Buffy sleep, and most  
of the gang had decided that sleep sounded like a good idea.  
  
Giles and Wesley returned to Giles' apartment to deal with the damage  
Adam had inflicted on the place.  
  
"Oh, dear," was Giles' first remark on seeing what was left of his   
front door. "I suppose I'll have to get that replaced. I'm amazed the   
landlord hasn't thrown me out yet, this isn't the first time that the   
apartment has suffered the wrath of an angry demon."  
  
"Yes, well, you'll have all the help you need with getting the place  
cleaned up," Wesley replied. "At least this time, you weren't the only  
one to suffer property damage. Although from the news reports, the  
Initiative did manage to subdue the remaining demons once Adam was  
destroyed."  
  
"Yes...although I can't say I'm too fond of their methods for subduing  
them," Giles said. "I can't help wondering if they're just going to  
create another Adam."  
  
"One of him was enough, surely," Wesley said. "You don't really think  
they'd repeat the same mistake twice?"  
  
"We can never be sure, can we?" Giles replied. "Buffy had access to   
the Initiative at one time, due to her relationship with Riley, but   
now, I'm afraid they think of her as just another enemy. So as long   
as they're in Sunnydale, I think the best assumption is that they're   
going to cause trouble."  
  
"Well, I do hope they'll let us have some down time," Wesley replied,  
yawning. "Because I don't know about anyone else, but I need to catch   
up on some much-needed sleep." He climbed over a few pieces of broken  
furniture, and went to the spare room to do just that.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
Willow's house  
  
"Oz?" Willow walked into the living room and found him asleep on the  
couch. Or so she thought, until he opened his eyes. "Hey, you didn't  
have to stay," she said as she sat next to him.  
  
"Yeah, right. You've got no doors on this house, Willow," Oz reminded  
her. "Like I'm going to leave you when the demons still think it's   
open season on humans."  
  
"Oh, I think it's pretty safe now," Willow replied. At Oz' skeptical  
look, she amended, "Sunnydale safe, anyway. At least I managed to get   
a little sleep. Did you?"  
  
"Enough to last me for a while," Oz said. "I'm in a band. We don't  
sleep," he joked.  
  
"Yeah, well, you won't be playing for a while either," Willow   
said, "at least not at the Bronze."  
  
"We'll figure something out," Oz shrugged. "I'd like to think that  
people will come hear us even without the Bronze."  
  
"Of course they will," Willow said. "At least your true fans will  
anyway. And I hope we'll be able to do some fun normal stuff like that  
now. Maybe we've done our demon fighting for the week, at least?"  
  
"We can always hope," Oz said. "Buffy sure needs the break, and I   
think we could all deal with some boredom."  
  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
Xander's House  
5 pm  
  
Xander and Anya had caught up on several hours of sleep, and were now  
watching the local news reports. "Well, at least the demons are almost  
gone," Xander said.  
  
"For now anyway," Anya agreed. "I imagine the ones the Initiative   
didn't catch have gone back underground."  
  
"You know, Wills mentioned that Spike seems to have left town," Xander  
said. "That's too good to be true, isn't it?"  
  
"I think it's a lucky break for us," Anya replied. "He's definitely   
not something that we needed to deal with on top of Adam."  
  
"I doubt that we've seen the last of him, though," Xander said. "For  
some reason, Spike has a real attachment to this town."  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Doyles' Apartment  
5 pm  
  
Charlotte had mumbled something about demon blood in her hair and had  
made a beeline for the bathroom and the shower.  
  
"She sure is a tom-boy," Cordelia remarked, sitting on the couch.  
"Chopping demons up into little pieces, well, I know _we've_ done that  
before, but we got paid for it at least. She's just a sixteen year old  
girl."  
  
"Who happens to be a Slayer," Doyle said, as he sat next to her. "They  
tend to grow up fast. But you're right, she never was much for the  
ladylike behavior, much to Aunt Lorena's dismay. It turned out to be a  
good trait though as a Slayer."  
  
"Speaking of that," Cordelia said, "What's next for the two of you?"  
  
"Dunno yet," Doyle replied. "I'll report back to the council first   
thing in the morning, and then I'm sure they'll decide where we're   
needed next."  
  
"So you might be leaving the country again," Cordelia frowned.  
  
"I guess that's possible," Doyle shrugged. "Look, Cordelia, I won't  
pretend I don't want you to come with us. But I also won't expect you   
to give up your life in L.A. either."  
  
"Doyle, didn't we go over this already?" Cordelia replied, a puzzled  
look on her face. "You know, like two months ago? Or did you forget?"  
  
"A lot can happen in two months--"  
  
"Doyle, do you _see_ me spending my weekends with anyone else?"   
Cordelia said in exasperation.  
  
"Well....no," Doyle replied slowlly  
  
"Well, then, I guess the only real question is if you still want me  
around," she said.  
  
"_IF_ I want you????" Doyle asked in amazement. "How could you   
possibly even ask that? Cordelia, ever since the moment I met you,   
there's only been one thing I've wanted. And that was you. Hold on a   
second," he stopped, and stood up, going into his bedroom. Cordelia   
sent a bewildered look after him but waited.  
  
"I'm not doing this right at all," he said, as he returned to the   
living room. "But then again, I've never done this before, so I   
shouldn't be surprised that I'm doing it so badly."  
  
"Doyle, what on earth are you babbling about?" Cordelia asked him.  
  
"Where was I?" he said as he came to a stop in front of her.  
  
"Um.... there's only been one thing you've wanted, and that was me?"  
Cordelia grinned at him.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Doyle grinned back. "Silly me for losing my place." He  
dropped to one knee in front of her, "Cordelia Chase, I love you,   
and I can't imagine my life without you. If you'd do me the   
unbelievable honor of becoming my wife, I'll spend the rest of my   
life trying to show you just how much I love you." He reached into   
his back jeans pocket and pulled out a ring box, which held a simple   
yet beautiful diamond solitaire ring.  
  
Cordelia looked at him for a moment stunned, before she could manage   
to speak, "Of course I'll marry you," she finally managed, and   
brushed the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" he said hopefully.  
  
"Doyle, if you're going to make me repeat myself everytime we have a  
conversation, I'm really going to have to hurt you," Cordelia said,  
laughing. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," she said, and pulled him to her   
for a passionate kiss.  
  
"Wait," Doyle pulled away, to Cordelia's dismay, and grabbed her hand.  
"I want to get this on you before you change your mind," he explained   
as he slipped the ring onto her finger.  
  
"Not likely, Doyle. You're stuck with me," she replied with a smile,  
before pulling him onto the couch next to her for another kiss.  
  
"Hey, Cor-- Oh good grief!!!" Charlotte yelled and retreated to the  
safety of her bedroom again.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&  
end 15  



	16. Chapter Sixteen

Sunnydale Hospital  
6 pm  
  
"I'm just going to keep buzzing this little nurse-calling-thing and  
bntil you lift my ban on visitors. I promise you that I can make your  
life miserable," Buffy said to a very exhausted nurse who had come   
into the room to check on her vital signs.  
  
"The doctor said--"  
  
"I don't care what the doctor said," Buffy interrupted. "I'm awake, I  
don't feel like sitting here staring at the walls. I know Angel's  
sitting out there, let him in!"  
  
"You've only slept for three hours," the nurse protested.  
  
"I have the rest of my life to catch up on my sleep. I'm not tired.   
Did I mention I can make your life miserable?"  
  
"I'll ask the doctor," the nurse sighed and exited the room.  
  
"Aagh!" Buffy yelled. "I'm going to go crazy if they keep me isolated  
like this much longer," she muttered.  
  
"I think you're giving that poor woman serious doubts about her  
profession," Angel chuckled as he walked in.  
  
"Angel! How did you get permission to be in here?"  
  
"The nurse told me that I was allowed to be in here, as long as I kept  
you from buzzing her," Angel replied. He walked over and sat next to   
her on the bed, and put his arm around her as she curled up against   
his chest.  
  
"Much better," she murmured. "Let's just stay like this for the rest   
of our lives, okay?"  
  
"Works for me," he said, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"So does that mean you're not going back to L.A?" Buffy asked, looking  
up at him.  
  
"Buffy, I haven't really thought about it yet," Angel replied. "Things  
have changed a lot in the last three months, I'm just trying to do  
what's best for everyone. Of course I want to be with you every minute  
of every day, but I don't want to be a distraction, either."  
  
"Angel, do you stop thinking about me when you're in L.A?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Well, the same goes for me, too. Just because you're not here,   
doesn't mean that I don't get distracted by you," Buffy said. "So now   
that reason's out of the way, try again.".  
  
"Well, Xander--"  
  
"Sorry, that won't work either. In case you've forgotten, he seems to   
be dealing very well with your presence in Sunnydale," Buffy   
said. "I'm not saying he's like your biggest fan or anything yet, but   
he'll be okay."  
  
"I don't know, Buffy. I _was_ planning on sticking around until they   
let you out of the hospital, can we talk about it then?" Angel asked.  
  
"Okay," Buffy sighed, and settled down against his chest again. "I  
suppose I can live with that." She stifled a yawn and added, "For a  
while."  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
1 am  
London  
  
"This is insane," Brianna muttered as she and the others walked to the  
Watcher's Council Headquarters, a huge mansion on the outskirts of the  
city. It was surrounded by a tall metal fence, and they could see the  
security guards around the perimeter.  
  
"Yes, I'm insane," Spike replied. "Now could we move on to the next  
topic of conversation? Or how about you just shut up and not broadcast  
our arrival to the Watchers?" He led them around to the side of the  
property, where there were ten other vampires waiting for them. This  
group was armed with weapons, and they had more for the others. "Take  
your pick," Spike said, "Knives, swords, guns...I prefer the swords,  
myself."  
  
"So what's the plan?" Brianna asked. "Or do you have one?"  
  
"Of course I have one. These ten are going to be the diversion.   
They're going to make a lot of noise, and kill as many of the   
security guards as possible. The rest of us are going in the back   
way. Where we want to be is the main hall, where they have their   
meetings. When we get in there, we barricade ourselves in. See   
these?" He pointed to a couple drills sitting on the ground. "As far   
as I can tell, there's a coffin under the floor of the main hall. "We   
dig it up, I get what I need, we get out of there."  
  
The groups gathered up their, weapons, and Spike and Brianna's group  
watched as the others ran to the front gate. Several vampires scaled   
the fence, and soon the focus of the entire security force appeared   
to be on that disturbance. "Okay, let's go," Spike said to the   
others. "This is as good a time as any to get in there."  
  
They ran to the rear of the building and scaled the fence silently,  
without drawing any attention. They reached one of the back doors of   
the building, and Brianna motioned to one of her minions, who knocked   
it down effortlessly. "Well, that's one way to do it," Spike   
said. "But I would've preferred a less loud option," he added as   
several security guards came down the hallway toward them.  
  
The men were armed with crossbows, and fired several arrows. Two of  
Brianna's fledgelings, both males, dissolved into a pile of dust as   
the arrows hit their mark. Spike and the others dove out of the way,   
and into another room. The men followed them in, and Spike ran at one   
of them, snapping his neck before he could react. Brianna attacked   
another, sinking her fangs into his neck. The others were overpowered   
by Brianna's remaining fledglings.  
  
"Well, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Spike said, looking at the dead  
bodies on the floor.  
  
"I was getting hungry," Brianna shrugged. "but those were some of my  
favorite fledglings. You really really will owe us for this Spike. So  
where's this hall where they've buried the important coffin?"  
  
"At the center of the building," Spike replied. "Follow me, but be   
ready or more security guards. I imagine the other vampires are   
pretty much dust by now."  
  
"Don't ever consider a job as an inspirational speaker," Brianna said.  
"I think all you'd inspire is self-staking," she added as she preceded  
him out the door.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&  
Sunnydale Hospital  
7:30 pm  
  
"I already bent the rules for one of you, I don't think the doctor   
would like it if all of you were in here!" Angel heard the voice of   
the nurse, and preceding her through the door was the entire Scooby   
Gang, plus Charlotte, Cordelia and Doyle.  
  
"It's a party," Buffy giggled. The stern-looking nurse was last into   
the room, but discovered she was no match for Giles.  
  
"I'm quite sure that we're not harming Buffy in any way by being   
here," he said. "Far from it, we're her friends, and I think that we   
can only make her feel better by being here, and keeping her spirits   
up. I assure you that we'll leave before she gets overly tired."  
  
"I'm going to lose my job, but I really don't care any more," the   
nurse replied as she exited the room.  
  
"Well, this is quite a welcome," Buffy said. "But from the frown on  
Giles' face, I'm guessing it's not purely a social visit, huh?"  
  
"Well, you could say that," Doyle answered for her. "Since I just got   
a phone call from the Watcher's Council, or should I say the only   
living member of the Watchers' Council at the moment."  
  
"What?!" Buffy yelled. "What happened?"  
  
"Turns out we now know where Spike disappeared to when he left town,"  
Doyle answered. "London. And for some odd reason he decided to lead an  
all-out attack on the Council. Only one of the Council members,  
Reynolds, managed to get out alive, and he's gone into hiding. He's  
started to call some prospective members, one of them being Wesley  
here."  
  
"Spike wasn't really after the Council, was he?" Angel said. "What was  
he after?"  
  
"Reynolds wouldn't tell me that, but I'm sure you're right," Doyle  
replied. "Spike hasn't kept himself alive for a century by being   
stupid. Whatever it is, it was important enough to risk his life for.   
I tried to tell Reynolds that I didn't think the council was in any   
more danger, but he wouldn't listen to me. He's ordered me and   
Charlotte to London immediately."  
  
"Yeah, they want me to play bodyguard," Charlotte said, obviously not  
happy with the situation.  
  
"It's just for a little while, until they can build up their security  
team again," Doyle replied, trying to soothe her irritated mood.  
  
"You're going back too?" Angel asked Wesley.  
  
"Well, I was asked, but I haven't given them an answer yet," Wesley  
replied. "Of course I wouldn't just pick up and leave without giving  
notice--"  
  
"Wesley, go," Angel said with a smile. "As valuable as you are to   
Angel Investigations, I'm sure you're more needed as a part of the   
Council. I'm glad the remaining member recognizes that you can be an   
asset to them." He noticed the ring on Cordelia's finger, then, and   
added, "Besides, it looks like you're not the only departing member   
of Angel Investigations."  
  
Buffy followed Angel's gaze, and could only manage to add, "Oh...   
my....God."  
  
Xander added, "I second that," as he too noticed the ring on   
Cordelia's finger.  
  
"Huh?" Willow said, a puzzled look on her face, until she too noticed  
what the others had. "Cordelia! Is that what I think it is?" she  
squealed.  
  
Cordelia grinned, and said, "Well, if you think it's a diamond  
engagement ring, then....yeah." She laughed as Willow tackled her in a  
hug.   
  
"Congratulations!" Willow said.  
  
"Thanks, Willow," she replied. "I'm pretty happy about it. And, yeah,  
Angel. I'm afraid I'm going to abandon the helping the hopeless   
cause."  
  
"No you won't," Angel said. "I'm sure your gifts will be useful to a  
Watcher and a Slayer."  
  
"Oh," Cordelia frowned. "I was hoping that the visions would go away  
since I wasn't helping the ex-vampire with a soul defeat the forces of  
evil anymore. I guess that would be too much to wish for."  
  
"Well, I'm happy for you, Cordelia," Angel replied. "And I don't   
think I need to tell you, Doyle, that I don't want to have to come to   
London because you've done something stupid."  
  
"Don't worry," Doyle said. "I don't have any intention of pissing off  
Cordelia here. I'm not quite sure who I'd be more afraid of mad,   
though, you or her." He jumped out of the way as she turned on him.  
  
"Hey!" she yelled. "Keep that up and you'll find out how scary I can   
be when I'm mad," she threatened.  
  
"I'm sure we're all overwhelmed with happiness," Giles interrupted,   
"but could we get back to the danger at hand?"  
  
"You think Spike's coming back to Sunnydale," Buffy realized.  
  
"Yes, I do," Giles replied. "And Doyle agrees with me, although he has  
no choice but to defer to the wishes of the Watcher's Council. So he   
and Charlotte will be leaving for London... tonight, correct?"  
  
"That's right," Doyle answered. "Reynolds didn't ask, he told. We've   
got a flight out at eight. Cordelia's going to stick around here for   
a day or two. She's agreed to pack up some of our stuff as well as go   
to her place in L.A. to take care of things there. She'll meet us in   
London once we're settled."  
  
"So what do we do?" Buffy asked Giles.  
  
"We wait," Giles answered. "I've got quite a bit of research to do,  
hopefully we can find out what was so important at the Council  
Headquarters that Spike had to go there to get it. I'm sure that Spike  
will make his move soon enough. He doesn't seem to want to stay away  
from Hellmouth for long. I just hope you're well enough to deal with   
him when he does come back."  
  
"I'll be ready," Buffy said. "I'm still rather ticked at him for   
biting me, he's going to have to be staked for that."  
  
"Next time I say something about not thinking we've seen the last of  
Spike, just hit me really, really, hard," Xander said to Anya. "I need  
to learn not to tempt the Hellmouth like that."  
  
"So much for boredom," Oz said.  
  
"Who wants boredom anyway?" Willow asked.  
  
"Me!" the remaining members of the group replied in unison.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
End of New Beginnings  



End file.
